US gamers will pay $449.99 for Nintendo’s Switch 2, a significant price bump from the $299 first-generation console. But in Japan, the console will be more affordable.
Nintendo developed a Japanese edition of the console, which will launch for 49,980 yen or $343 USD. The catch? It only functions in Japan, Nintendo’s home country, so US travelers can’t pick one up on their next trip to Tokyo.
“Japanese is the only supported language. Only Nintendo accounts with ‘Country/Region’ set to ‘Japan’ can be linked,” Nintendo says of the Japanese Switch 2.
The Japan-only Switch 2 was specifically created to be affordable, Nintendo said in a press release. Some speculate the product is meant to address a weak Yen, which has lost around 50% of its value against the US dollar over the past five years.
Of course, a cheaper Switch 2 might attract scalpers. So Nintendo likely instituted the country-based limits to prevent people from buying up units and reselling them in other markets.
An FAQ further explains the differences between the Japan-only and international versions of the Switch 2. The former can only access the Nintendo eShop for Japan.
If Japanese consumers want to remove the restrictions, they’ll have to buy a “multi-language system” Switch 2, which supports 16 foreign languages and can link to any Nintendo account, regardless of country. That version costs 69,980 yen or $480 USD.
In the US, buyers face some potential stick shock as Trump prepares to tariff imports from Vietnam and Cambodia, where over half of Nintendo’s hardware is reportedly manufactured. That comes as consumers are already complaining that $449.99 for the Switch 2 and $80 for major launch titles like Mario Kart World is too expensive.
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