Nintendo Hits Pause on US Switch 2 Pre-Orders After Trump’s Tariff Move

Nintendo just pulled the brakes on US pre-orders for the Switch 2, and the reason is straight-up political. The company says it’s “assessing the potential impact” of newly announced global tariffs from President Trump, which landed on the same day they revealed the next-gen console.

Pre-orders were supposed to go live on April 9, but that’s now off the table—at least for American buyers. No new date has been given yet. For now, Nintendo says the official launch is still happening on June 5, with the Switch 2 priced at $450 in the US.

Image Credit: President of Nintendo America Doug Bowser delivers his remarks during the debut of the Nintendo Switch 2 in New York on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. | AP Photo. Richard Drew

“In order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” a Nintendo spokesperson said, “we’ve decided to delay pre-orders in the US.”

So what’s the deal with the tariffs? Earlier this week, Trump dropped a hefty set of global import levies, hitting countries like Japan and Vietnam especially hard, 24% and 46%, respectively. And guess what? Nintendo has been shifting more of its manufacturing to Vietnam, so yeah, that stings.

The Switch 2 was officially unveiled just days ago, making the timing extra awkward. One moment, they’re hyping the console; the next, they’re scrambling to recalculate the cost of doing business.

Nintendo's stock wasn’t immune either. On Friday, their US-traded shares were down 5.4% by mid-afternoon. Not a great look, especially for a company that’s been coasting on strong Switch sales since 2017.

What makes this even messier is how international markets aren’t affected (yet). Pre-orders in other countries are still going ahead as planned. So if you're outside the US, you can probably snag your Switch 2 without delays—unless this tariff drama expands.

The Verge and CNBC were among the first to catch wind of the delay. While Nintendo’s keeping quiet on a revised timeline, industry watchers are already speculating this could throw off marketing plans, retail partnerships, and even early-access promos.

The Switch 2 is expected to be a solid upgrade from the original: rumors point to a more powerful chipset, sharper OLED screen, and better backward compatibility. But now, instead of just talking specs, Nintendo is dealing with logistics and trade headaches.

Not the rollout they were hoping for.

We’ll keep an eye on how this plays out, especially if other companies start tweaking their US launch plans because of these tariffs. The tech industry is already whispering about ripple effects—particularly for companies manufacturing in Asia.

Until then, US gamers might want to wait a little longer before setting that calendar alert for Switch 2 pre-orders.