Nintendo Switch 2 Price & Stock Update - What You Need to Know Before Pre-Orders Go Live

As the countdown to the launch and announcement date of Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. The news has been some confusing, and sometimes inaccurate headlines on potential price hikes in light of the ongoing global tariffs. Let's look into what's going on, and what this means to the price of the Switch 2 as well as what we can expect on launch day.

Are Tariffs Affecting the Switch 2 Price?

Recent reports claiming that Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Switch 2 could face the prospect of a 145 percent tariff created panic among gamers. But, the information provided is incorrect. It is real that there's continuing tensions over tariffs between the U.S. and China, Nintendo makes the majority of Switch 2 units for the U.S. market in Vietnam--not China. The move was a strategic one that was taken years ago to prevent these kinds of trade disputes.

In actuality, nearly 1 million Switch 2 units were shipped into in the U.S. just between January to February 2025 With more than 800,000 units shipped in February as per Bloomberg. While tariffs are in place however Nintendo's proactive actions in its supply chain have shielded U.S. customers from potential massive price increases, at most for the time being.

Will There Be a Price Increase?

In the moment, analytic company Niko Partners expects Nintendo will keep its Switch 2's price for launch at $450 and the Mario Kart World bundle being expected to retail at $500.The company says that Nintendo may pay for the temporary 10 10% Vietnam tariff in order to ensure that prices remain stable throughout the launch.

The tariff pause can only be in effect for 90 days until the middle of July 2025. If the 46% tax will be imposed following that it could be a price increase prior to the Christmas season. If you're still on the side of purchasing the console at launch, it may be a good idea to purchase early in order to stay clear of possible price hikes after launch.

Stock Levels: How Hard Will It Be to Get One?

It's a good thing that the launch stocks are more positive than most people expected.
According to a report by My Nintendo News, citing retailers, states that the majority of GameStop Stores across the U.S. are expecting to get around 100 Switch 2 units for the launch date. While this number may seem like a small amount, it's actually a significant increase than we've seen for earlier console launches. The figure above doesn't not comprise pre-order stocks, it's just for walk-ins.

But, accessories and physical games may be more difficult to come by in particular in regions that are impacted by tariffs. If you're in search of controllers, cases, or game carts, it may be beneficial to get them before you find them on sale.

When Can You Pre-Order?

At Present, Official U.S. orders for the Nintendo Switch 2 have not yet been released. But, Nintendo's own store offers a registration site that allows early access. According to their website that pre-orders will start the 8th of May, 2025.

To be eligible for this early access program, you'll require:

• A twelve-month current Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) account.
        • A minimum of 50 hours of game play.

The idea behind this system is to stop scalpers and bots So if you're eligible, be sure that you sign up as soon as possible. Nintendo will mail out an order link that is valid for 72 hours after the pre-orders are live.

Final Thoughts:

Therefore, you should make a pre-order for Nintendo Switch 2?
Nintendo Switch 2 as soon as you can?
If you'd like to secure the price at $450 and prevent stock shortages or price hikes due to tariffs, yes. Although nothing can be 100% certain until Nintendo will officially announce it the price, everything is pointing to the possibility of a long-lasting, however steady launch time.