Nintendo enthusiasts across the United States let out a collective sigh of relief on 5 June 2025, as the brand-new Nintendo Switch 2 consoles arrived in stores as promised. With a suggested retail price of $450 for the standalone unit (or $500 bundled with Mario Kart World), the next-generation system’s launch felt precariously close to derailing thanks to looming U.S. import tariffs. Trade policy turbulence under former President Donald Trump’s administration had cast doubt on pre-orders—and, potentially, the release date itself. Yet, despite aggressive proposed tariffs on key manufacturing countries, Nintendo managed to secure a window in which the Switch 2 could be imported and sold at the originally advertised price. What follows is a closer look at how fortunate timing, nimble decision-making and a last-minute presidential pause allowed Nintendo to sidestep steep duties—at least for now—and what challenges may lie ahead as trade negotiations continue.
Background: Trump’s Proposed Tariffs on Electronics Imports
In early April 2025, just hours after Nintendo’s global reveal and U.S. launch‐date announcement for the Switch 2, former President Donald Trump took center stage at the White House Rose Garden with a new chart in hand. He proclaimed the imposition of substantial tariffs—up to 24% on imports from Japan and a staggering 46% on Vietnamese products—warranted by ongoing trade deficits. Those measures were meant to take effect immediately, covering a wide array of goods including consumer electronics. The announcement represented what Trump’s aides dubbed a “liberation day” for American workers, but for global tech companies, it threatened to radically upend supply chain economics overnight.
The Threat to Switch 2 Pre-Orders
Prior to the tariff announcement, Nintendo had set U.S. pre-orders to begin on 9 April, promising a synchronized 5 June ship date for all pre-ordered units. However, sudden concern over the new 46% duty on Vietnamese imports—where the majority of Switch assembly now takes place—prompted Nintendo to pause pre-orders just days before they were to open. In a brief statement, the company said it needed time to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions” in the United States. While Nintendo insisted that the 5 June release date would hold, gamers voiced apprehension on social media that the console’s price tag could climb significantly—or that launch could be delayed entirely if costs became unmanageable.
Redistributing Global Production: Lessons from 2019
To understand Nintendo’s initial reaction, it helps to revisit the production strategy it adopted during President Trump’s first term. In 2019, facing 25% tariffs on Chinese imports, Nintendo began shifting Switch manufacturing out of China and into Vietnam. That transition allowed the company to avoid U.S. duties on its core product lines—but at the cost of retooling factories, training workers and establishing new logistics. By early 2025, most Switch consoles destined for the U.S. market were built in Vietnam, while Chinese-assembled units were shipped to other regions. This diversification, while smart in 2019, suddenly became a liability when the Rose Garden tariffs targeted Vietnam so heavily.
International economist Robert Johnson, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, observes that “Nintendo, like many other consumer electronics makers, has spent years grappling with the question of where to produce. That 2019 shift to Vietnam was sensible then, but this new set of tariffs caught almost everyone off guard.” In effect, factories in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi that once served as a hedge against Chinese duties found themselves facing even higher levies.
The 90-Day “Tariff Pause” and Nintendo’s Window of Opportunity
Shortly after unveiling the new duties, President Trump announced a 90-day moratorium on those very tariffs, ostensibly to give negotiators time to strike deals with Japan, India and Vietnam. That concession—mockingly termed “taco” by the Financial Times for “Trump always chickens out”—meant that the proposed 24% and 46% duties would not be enacted immediately. Instead, they would be frozen until mid-July, pending ongoing discussions.
By pure chance, Nintendo had already shipped roughly 746,000 Switch 2 units from Vietnam into the United States by 24 April—shortly after resuming pre-orders. Those consoles were imported during the tariff pause, and thus remained subject only to the standard 2–3% duties applicable to most electronics. Because Nintendo had chosen to resume pre-orders within this narrow window, it was able to honor its 5 June release date without raising the $450 sticker price or delaying shipments.
For Nintendo fans, the outcome felt like a reprieve. Many warehouses and retail partners—Best Buy, GameStop, Amazon and select brick-and-mortar outlets—had begun to display Switch 2 pre-order placards as early as April, and a sold-out wave of online reservations followed within hours of the restart. Retail shelves filled up in late May, just in time for launch weekend.
Initial Consumer Response and Launch Day Scenes
On 5 June, long lines formed outside major Nintendo stores and big-box retailers. In New York City, dozens of dedicated gamers camped outside the Nintendo store on Fifth Avenue, some arriving as early as 3 a.m. A photograph captured by Getty Images shows an excited crowd clutching their pre-order slips and chatting eagerly about new features—4K-capable dock, upgraded graphics processor, enhanced battery life and a redesigned Joy-Con for smoother motion controls.
Despite earlier concerns, the Wii-style handheld hybrid console arrived at no additional cost to consumers. In Los Angeles and Chicago, similar scenes unfolded as fans ripped open the boxes, connecting to online accounts to download Mario Kart World and other launch titles. Social media channels lit up with unboxing videos, specs comparisons and gameplay clips. The consensus: Nintendo had delivered on time and at the promised price—at least for now.
Accessories Face Incremental Price Increases
Nintendo did not entirely escape Trump’s tariff rhetoric unscathed. On 10 June, the company quietly updated its U.S. accessory catalog to reflect slight price bumps. According to a report by CNBC, official Switch 2 docks—essential for playing on a full-screen TV—rose from $80 to $90, while Joy-Con straps increased from $5 to $6. These adjustments were attributed to ongoing tariff uncertainty and anticipated duty hikes once the moratorium officially ends on 6 July.
“In the end, Nintendo wants to sell consoles to get people to buy games and accessories,” Johnson explains. “Accessories like docks and controllers tend to carry higher profit margins, and consumers are somewhat used to paying a little extra there. But if those prices climb too steeply, it could dampen overall software and subscription revenue growth.” Indeed, with digital downloads and Nintendo Switch Online subscription fees now representing a larger share of the company’s income, hardware profitability is only one piece of the puzzle.
What Happens After the 90-Day Moratorium?
As the 90-day pause approaches its mid-July expiration, Nintendo and other consumer electronics manufacturers remain on alert. If negotiations between the U.S. and Vietnam (and other affected nations) fail to produce a final agreement, the previously announced tariffs may snap back into force. For Nintendo, that prospect could force a choice between absorbing additional costs, raising the Switch 2’s retail price during the 2025 holiday season or diversifying manufacturing yet again.
Sony and Microsoft, slated to release next-generation consoles in late 2027, are closely monitoring the outcome of these talks. A sudden 46% duty on Vietnamese or Indian imports could reshape the console war’s economics well before those systems hit store shelves. Meanwhile, smaller accessory- and component-makers—third-party controller producers, peripheral creators, and e-sports gear vendors—face similar uncertainty. Many were already citing skyrocketing freight costs and supply chain bottlenecks as challenges in 2024; new tariffs risk compounding those pressures.
Expert Analysis: Balancing Stability and Uncertainty
Johnson notes that the current trade environment stands in stark contrast to the stable climate favored by manufacturers. “It takes a long time and significant capital outlays to bring new production facilities online. Producers really like to operate in a stable environment,” he says. “The current trade environment is the exact opposite of that.” For Nintendo, which spent nearly two years building up Vietnamese assembly capacity, sudden policy shifts can render that investment suboptimal.
Others point out that should President Trump—or a similarly minded administration—return to office after 2028, tariffs could again be used as a negotiating tool. For now, however, the Biden administration has offered some reassurance. A spokesperson from the Office of the United States Trade Representative stated on 6 June: “We are actively engaging with all partners to reduce trade barriers, but we will not compromise U.S. economic interests.” While not a promise to keep tariffs permanently low, that stance suggests a willingness to negotiate.
Corporate Maneuvering: Looking Beyond Tariffs
Beyond timing the tariff pause, Nintendo reportedly considered alternate supply chain configurations. Sources familiar with the company’s internal planning told Reuters that, had talks faltered, executives were prepared to shift up to 20% of Switch 2 production back to China—despite ongoing geopolitical tensions. That fallback, however, would carry its own risks: exposure to Chinese export controls, potential U.S. scrutiny over technology transfers and an uncertain regulatory environment given rising U.S.–China tech competition.
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At the same time, Nintendo has ramped up investment in cloud-based services and digital storefronts to hedge against hardware volatility. During the Switch 2 reveal, CEO Shuntaro Furukawa highlighted new features that tied accounts and game libraries more closely to online infrastructure. In practical terms, a 46%46\%46% tariff on physical device components would matter less if 40–50% of future revenue comes from digital software transactions, microtransactions and subscription fees.
Holiday Season Projections and Consumer Sentiment
Industry analysts predict that if tariffs return in July, Switch 2 prices could rise by $50–$75 by November–December, potentially dampening holiday sales. Yet, Nintendo’s strong brand loyalty and established game ecosystem may mitigate that impact. A survey by NPD Group conducted in late May found that 68% of U.S. gamers intended to purchase a Switch 2 either at launch or before the end of 2025, compared with 52% who had done so for the original Switch in 2017. That indicates a robust demand curve that could withstand modest price hikes.
“For a mass-market consumer like Nintendo, minor price adjustments on accessories won’t derail the juggernaut,” says Linda Zhao, an analyst at New York’s Evercore ISI. “But if the main console’s price climbs past $500 by late 2025, we may start to see consumers on the fence delay purchases or seek out bundles that offer greater value. That’s assuming tariffs stick at current proposed levels.”
Looking Ahead: The Global Competitive Landscape
While Nintendo continues to navigate U.S. trade policy, its competitors have their own hurdles. Sony’s Project Scarlet and Microsoft’s Project Aurora (codenames for their respective 2027 consoles) are expected to feature advanced GPUs, cloud integration and expanded VR capabilities. Both companies face pressure to choose manufacturing bases wisely—to avoid repeating Nintendo’s 2019–2025 tariff scramble. Apple, too, has reportedly explored shifting some MacBook and iPhone production to India and Malaysia to reduce reliance on China. Across the tech sector, the message is clear: political risk has become equally as important as supply chain efficiency.
Conclusion
Nintendo’s ability to release the Switch 2 on 5 June 2025 at its advertised $450 price point stemmed from a combination of prudent prior investments in Vietnamese manufacturing, timely shipments, and a last-minute presidential tariff pause. Yet the reprieve may be temporary. With the 90-day moratorium set to expire in mid-July—and with no guarantee of a favorable deal—Nintendo could be forced to reevaluate its supply chain strategy once again. Accessories have already become slightly more expensive, and a broader price increase during the holiday season remains a possibility if tariffs are reinstated at full force.
For gamers, this episode serves as a reminder of how geopolitical decisions can directly affect console affordability and availability. For Nintendo, it underscores the ongoing tension between global production nimbleness and the desire for a stable business environment. As trade negotiations proceed, the company will need to balance cost pressures, consumer expectations and long-term investments in digital offerings—ensuring that “Nintendo magic” endures even as tariffs threaten to rewrite the rules of the game.
