Under the heavy burden of tariffs, NS players begin to worry.

On April 28, according to Reuters, at a recent event held near Tokyo, Japanese Nintendo fans were able to get an early experience of the highly anticipated new Nintendo Switch 2 gaming device. However, under the continuous spread of tariff impacts, this launch event was also shrouded in gloom.

At the scene, some fans told foreign media: "Since Trump became president, tariffs have been rising, so I am not only worried about the price increase of game consoles, but also the price increase of accessories."

Playground scene Foreign media picture

The world-renowned game company Nintendo plans to release its new game console Nintendo Switch 2 globally on June 5. According to foreign media reports, before the official announcement of Nintendo Switch 2 (referred to as NS2), Nintendo had already shipped the inventory of this new product to the United States several months in advance. At the same time, Nintendo announced the delay of NS2's release in the Chinese market.

According to Nikkei Asia, currently, most Switch game consoles are still produced in China, with only a small portion produced in Vietnam. Although the US announced on April 11 that additional tariffs on products such as smartphones, laptops, and servers would be temporarily exempted, basic tariffs of 20% still need to be paid for Chinese-made smartphones and laptops, while servers and electronic switches face high tariffs of 45%. This means that Switch game consoles may face high tariffs.

In terms of pricing, Switch 2 shows differences across regions. The Japanese version is priced at 49,980 yen (approximately $350 USD), while in the US market, Nintendo initially suspended pre-orders due to tariff issues but eventually maintained the price of $449.99.

Previously, Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo America, told foreign media that the company "has time" to accumulate inventory of the new machine globally, and many units have already arrived at their destinations, including part of the US.

Bowser said: "We really hope to meet the demand." When asked if they can meet the demand, he responded: "This remains to be seen, of course, it is our goal."

In recent years, due to expectations of tensions between China and the US, Nintendo has transferred production to Southeast Asia, thus being directly affected by some new tariff policies aimed at Southeast Asia. Statistics show that the US market accounts for one-third of Nintendo's revenue. Within about 48 hours after the announcement of Switch 2, Nintendo suspended pre-orders in the US market but later stated that they will maintain the price of $449.99. This made Nintendo one of the first companies to be affected by the new round of trade uncertainty.

It is reported that analysis company DFC Intelligence previously lowered its annual sales forecast for Switch 2 from 17 million units to 15 million units. Analysis indicates that under the impact of US tariffs, the resulting additional costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers, potentially requiring a price increase.

However, despite various influences, Bowser still told foreign media that Nintendo is "actively assessing" the latest tariff impacts. However, this assessment was made before Nintendo decided to postpone the pre-order of Switch 2 from the originally scheduled April 9. Nintendo stated that the release plan for the console is still June 5.

As a pillar representative of the global gaming industry, Nintendo's NS2 is bound to be affected by tariff-related policies. Previously, on April 2, Nintendo held the highly anticipated Direct event, where they officially released their new machine NS2, the next-generation product of the Nintendo Switch launched in 2017. Coincidentally, on the same day, Trump also walked into the White House Rose Garden to announce new tariff policies for numerous countries around the world.

Trump's tariff policy Video screenshot

Nintendo's newly released machines have attracted attention from game enthusiasts and professionals worldwide. Before the new machine launch event, relevant analysts believed that the new machine is not only crucial for Nintendo itself but also for the entire gaming industry.

"Nintendo's game consoles democratize and popularize gaming. Because it is not designed for super hardcore gamers, its audience group is the broadest among all machines," Andrew Szymanski, a Tokyo-based game industry executive who developed games for the first-generation Switch, previously told overseas media.

In addition to macro factors such as tariffs, the gaming industry is currently also facing great uncertainties in choosing gaming machines. The differentiation among the four main options—high-end consoles like Sony's PS5 Pro, handheld gaming machines like NS, cloud gaming, and PC gaming—is already quite severe.

PS5 pro Sony official

Before NS, Nintendo once encountered the failure of Wii U. The Wii U handheld console was launched in 2012. Due to poor marketing strategies, complex technology, and a lack of sufficiently attractive games, the global sales of the Wii U handheld console were less than 14 million units. In contrast, the previous model, Wii, sold 102 million units.

Therefore, the sales performance of this generation of NS2 may determine the future direction of this world-class game company. If NS2 succeeds, handheld gaming machines similar to the NS series may continue to receive sustained attention, and Nintendo might choose to continue developing new handheld gaming machines; whereas if NS2 performs poorly, it may follow the path speculated during the Wii U era, focusing on developing stable game software and cultivating IPs.

It is reported that despite the impact of high tariffs and high prices, this console is still expected to become the fastest-selling gaming console yet.

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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498297144232411689/

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