Switch 2 pre-orders have been delayed in the US "in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions," Nintendo says

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The console's release date will remain the same, however

Nintendo Switch 2 in dock next to JoyCon controller grip and red backdrop
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo has confirmed that Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States won't be starting next week after all, as they're being delayed "in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions."

In a statement released today (shared by GameSpot's Tamoor Hussain on Twitter), Nintendo writes: "Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged." 12DOVE has reached out to Nintendo for comment.

Just days after all the exciting Nintendo Switch 2 Direct news about the new hardware and upcoming Switch 2 games, this news is probably one of the last things fans in the US want to hear. Right now, it's not clear how long this pre-order delay could last for – the Switch 2's pre-order page on Walmart, for example, now simply says "pre-orders coming soon" rather than offering an actual date, but you can check for updates there, at least. It's the same situation at Best Buy and GameStop, too, so it seems that major retailers are all scrambling to make changes to their listings.

US president Donald Trump announced new tariffs on Wednesday, just hours after the Switch 2 was unveiled. One analyst has suggested that the high cost of the console in the US could be in part thanks to uncertainty surrounding the tariffs – another even speculated that this could have been the reason why the price wasn't announced within the Direct itself.

Fans have already been begging Nintendo to "drop the price" of the console, so let's hope whatever Nintendo figures out from its assessment of the "evolving market conditions" doesn't end up having any negative impact on the cost of anything going forward. At least we know that the console is still going to be launching on June 5, but the uncertainty surrounding when US fans can actually secure one of the things isn't going to be reassuring to anyone.

Nintendo is likely surprised, panicked, and having a full "war room" response to the outrage over Switch 2 pricing, former marketing leads say.

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Catherine Lewis
Catherine Lewis
News Writer

I'm one of 12DOVE's news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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