With the much-anticipated release of the Nintendo Switch 2, along with its technical specifications and the pricing of first-party Nintendo games, the spotlight now shifts to the cost of the console itself. Although the Nintendo Direct presentation didn't confirm any prices, regional pricing details have appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most affordable way to purchase the new hardware is in Japan.
As cleverly pointed out by Duolingo, the language-learning app, Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language edition priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477) and a Japanese-only version at 49,980 yen (about $341).
Gamers, learn Japanese to save $133! https://t.co/misNmSstIf
— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025
Japan stands as the only country offering this mono-language console at a reduced price, meaning that players willing to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the international version, which retails at $449.99 in the U.S.
Some industry experts speculate that the higher international pricing could be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs. "Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world and the $700 Sony dared to charge for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," stated Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.
Japan's significance as a major market for Nintendo, accounting for 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024 (compared to 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5), also plays a role. "If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would dramatically weaken Nintendo's position in Japan, representing a doubling in the list price over the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "Yet if Nintendo continued to rely on region-specific pricing that is significantly cheaper in USD terms, they would face an issue with grey imports to other territories."
However, even fluent Japanese speakers face challenges in obtaining the cheaper model. "The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's website. "Only Japanese is available as the system language, and only Nintendo accounts with the country/region set to Japan can be linked to this system." This, along with the fact that the Japanese-only version is exclusively available through the Japanese My Nintendo Store, effectively region-locks the console to keep costs lower for Japanese consumers.
For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our in-depth analysis where we discuss insights from industry experts.
To stay updated on everything revealed about the Nintendo Switch 2 at this week's Nintendo Direct, catch up here.
