The Nintendo Switch has been one of the most successful gaming devices for nearly a decade. When the Switch 2 was announced, gamers worldwide rejoiced. Despite the hype surrounding its release, the broader gaming economy has faced several hurdles, the most recent being the United States’ recent tariffs on certain foreign markets.
Given the impact of these controversial sanctions on the international video game industry, Nintendo’s president made an important announcement regarding how they will move forward. Here is a breakdown of how these tariffs will affect the Switch 2’s launch window.
The Tariff’s Effects
In November of last year, Donald Trump was re-elected as the 47th President of the United States. While this is massive, long-reaching news for every aspect of global politics, international trade will naturally be a significant field. One major change from the administration was introducing tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China. Mexico and Canada will have a 25% tariff, while China’s will be 10%. These were enacted on February 4th.
These tariffs would affect the global economy, and the gaming industry would be one of the many industries impacted. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) warned Trump that these changes would hurt the video game industry for hundreds of millions of players. An example would be semiconductors, a vital component for devices mainly produced in China. They especially emphasized gaming’s contributions to the American economy.
Given that many of the Nintendo Switch’s factories are based in China, this naturally drew fans’ concern. Gaming has become a worldwide market for the past few decades with esports, communities, and international fanbases. As for Nintendo, they’ve created many universally popular franchises, such as Mario and Pokemon, the latter of which is the best-selling media franchise in history. Additionally, China has quickly become one of the biggest powerhouses in the video game industry.
Nintendo’s Statement
According to Nintendo Everything, Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, released a statement on how the proposed American tariffs on international goods would affect the release of the Switch 2. With the recent tariffs on Chinese imports in the United States, many fans are worried about the console’s price and production. However, Furukawa assured fans they also have factories in Vietnam and Cambodia. Furthermore, many items in their stock shipped out before the tariffs were enacted, and he predicted their impact would be “minimal.”
Because so many of Nintendo’s devices are manufactured in China, many gamers have naturally expressed concern about how this could affect the Switch 2’s launch. However, as Polygon reported, these tariffs could also affect Vietnamese manufacturers and other nations. Furthermore, they could increase trade tensions between markets and slow production, harming the video game industry.
Furukawa concluded the statement by confirming that the team would closely monitor the developing tariffs and prepare a more thorough response. Given how recent these tariffs were and how the new Switch remains months from release, it’s too early to assess how it will perform in this new economy. Additionally, they reminded readers that more information on the Switch’s successor, including the release date, will arrive during a Nintendo Direct on April 2.
