US tariffs could push up Nintendo Switch 2 price, says Shuntaro Furukawa

Nintendo Switch has been a success story at Nintendo, after learning from the failure of Wii U. More than 8 years after its launch, and with 152 million units sold, Switch is a model of success and a strategy for the company's future. Nintendo Switch 2 aims to repeat the success, with analysts pointing to the biggest launch in history, but there is one unforeseen obstacle that no marketing campaign could have foreseen: Donald Trump.

Or rather, the tariffs that the US president is imposing on virtually every country in the world, including Japan and also countries that manufacture and assemble Switch 2 hardware such as China and Vietnam. This has led to severe disruptions to the console's pre-order schedule in the US, and a growing concern that the price adjustment in territories such as Europe will not be enough to maintain the margin considered "positive" for shareholders.

Earlier today, the company's financial report for the end of fiscal year 2025 was released, and the board of directors subsequently presented shareholders with the data and answered some of their questions. There is one particular concern about tariffs that is worrying, and it was Shuntaro Furukawa himself who responded that, if the situation does not normalise soon or trade tariffs increase, they do not rule out having to raise the price of Nintendo Switch 2.

"If the assumptions about tariffs change significantly, we would like to consider what price adjustments we should make and implement them after considering various factors."

Nintendo's reported short-term strategy is therefore to distribute and sell as many Nintendo Switch 2 units as possible in anticipation of possible changes, as well as to ensure the console's success by securing a broad player base.

"At the moment, the top priority is to quickly popularise the Switch 2 hardware".

Whether or not Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are high, there is no doubt that Nintendo will have to keep a close eye on its pricing moves and policies, both to deal with US tariffs and not to lose steam in territories that are assuming higher costs, such as Europe.