Nintendo has said it is committed to make its products “as obtainable as we possibly can” amidst fluctuating market conditions due to the US tariffs.
Speaking to IGN, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser emphasised that it maintained the ¥49,980/$499.99/£395.99 Switch 2 price following tariff announcements to assure consumers that the console would remain accessible.
“We really thought it was important that we established that price point, even after further tariffs were announced, to give consumers that comfort that they would be able to purchase at that price,” Bowser explained.
“It’s still a very fluid situation, and it’s difficult to determine what may be happening in the upcoming months and weeks.
“But our commitment is to find ways within existing or changing market conditions to make our products, including Switch 2 hardware, as obtainable as we possibly can.”
Last week, Nintendo announced that it expects the Switch 2 to move 15 million units in FY26. Commenting on the availability of hardware stock in the US, Bowser confirmed that Nintendo believes it will meet consumer demand.”
“That forecast was really driven by wanting to match what we accomplished with the Switch in the first 10 months of its release,” he clarified.
“As we look at our plans here in the US, we do believe we’ll have production and supply that will allow us to meet consumer demand.
Bowser continued: “We know there’s been strong positive reaction to the Switch 2 early on, and we’ve seen that through our pre-orders. But we do plan to have a continuous flow of product that’ll be available through the holidays.”
Bowser also addressed the backlash regarding the $80 price of the Switch 2’s flagship title, Mario Kart World. He said Nintendo asked the question: “What is the right price to charge for a software experience?” when determining how much Switch 2 games would cost.
“We look at things such as the content, the extended amount of play that would be provided through the gameplay experiences, and the number of different factors as we consider what the pricing may be,” he said.
“And so we felt that the price we charge for Mario Kart World really does equal the value of the gameplay experience. But that was one price point. For Donkey Kong Banaza [which launches on July 17, 2025], our price point was set at $69.99.”
As for its stance on physical games, Bowser said this format is “still a key part of [its] business” despite the introduction of game-key cards – physical cartridges that contain a license key rather than software.
“When you look at game-key cards, our goal with the Switch 2 – similar to what we were able to accomplish on Switch – is to have the broadest and deepest library as we possibly can,” he explained.
“Game-key cards are a way that our publishing are able to bring deeper, larger, and more immersive content on the platform.”
