Experts claim Nintendo Switch 2’s $450 price tag is down to Trump tariffs

The Switch 2‘s $450 price tag surprised fans, with many describing it as “pricey” – however, experts reckon it’s down to one thing – US tariffs.

On April 5, 2025, US President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on imported goods that come into the US by 10% “baseline”. This will have a direct impact on product price listings in the U.S., with many non-American goods seeing a price increase. 

The worst-hit nations are China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, with the BBC reporting that tariffs have reached as high as 50%. However, the 20% price hike in imported Chinese goods is particularly notable.

This is because gaming hardware like the Switch has historically been manufactured in China to keep costs down. Because of the import fees, experts believe the Switch 2’s $450 price tag has been influenced by the tariffs. 

Switch 2 $450 price tag likely down to Trump tariffs 

Speaking with The Financial Times, Serkan Toto, a Japan-based games expert and founder of Kantan Games, believes that Trump tariffs are behind Nintendo’s price hikes. He suggests, “Nintendo was building a buffer in case tariffs hit supply chains harder than expected.”

The Financial Times report also notes how Nintendo has already “shipped hundreds of thousands of Switch 2s to the US from factories in Vietnam,” intending to reduce its reliance on Chinese production to help avoid the price hikes. 

In a separate report, it was found that more than half of Nintendo’s hardware imported into the US is from Vietnam and Cambodia. Interestingly, Nintendo also revealed that they will be releasing a Japanese language-only Switch 2, which will be sold domestically for 49,980 yen ($334) instead of the $450 price tag in the US. 

Nintendo

While it’s unclear the exact reasoning behind such a difference in price, many believe it’s down to the weak Yen and current consumer spending power in Japan. After all, the Switch remains the best-selling console in Japan, with Statista reporting that over three million Switch units have been sold in Japan in 2024, while the PS5 sold about 1.45 million. 

With such strong domestic sales, Nintendo likely doesn’t want to risk alienating Japanese fans. Quite how the tariffs will impact the final pricing of Switch 2 in the US remains unclear, but things could get rather pricey, especially when you throw in the $80 price tag for games – something that GTA 6 fans are fearful of. 

For all the latest details on the Switch 2, be sure to check out our hub for the latest specification details and head over to our Switch 2 games guide to get the lowdown on every title.