The Nintendo Switch 2’s $450 price tag has come as a surprise to many fans, with some calling it “too expensive.” However, experts believe that this is due to one major factor: US import tariffs.
On April 5, 2025, US President Donald Trump will impose a 10% base tariff on goods imported into the US. This policy is expected to have a direct impact on the prices of products domestically, especially non-US goods which will see a price increase.
The countries most affected include China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, with the BBC reporting that tariffs could reach as high as 50%. However, the most notable is the 20% increase in imports from China.
This is especially important because situs gacor online indonesian gaming hardware like the Nintendo Switch has historically been manufactured in China to keep production costs down. As a result of the tariffs, experts believe the Switch 2’s $450 price tag is heavily influenced by the policy.
Trump’s Tariffs Allegedly Caused by Switch 2’s High Price
In an interview with The Financial Times, Serkan Toto – a Japan-based gaming industry expert and founder of Kantan Games – suggested that Trump’s tariffs were the reason behind the price spikes in Nintendo products. He stated, “Nintendo is building up reserves in case the tariffs actually hit the supply chain harder than expected.”
The Financial Times report also states that Nintendo has shipped hundreds of thousands of Switch 2 units to the US from its factory in Vietnam, in an effort to reduce its reliance on Chinese production and avoid price spikes due to tariffs.
In a separate report, it was revealed that more than half of Nintendo’s hardware imported into the US comes from Vietnam and Cambodia. Interestingly, Nintendo also announced that it will be releasing a Japanese-only version of the Switch 2, which will retail domestically for 49,980 yen (about $334) — significantly cheaper than the $450 price tag in the United States.