Nintendo issues worrying update to after officially delaying Switch 2 pre-orders due to Trump tariffs

You might need to wait a while longer in order to pre-order your Switch 2, as Nintendo have issued a worrying update following the reveal of US President Donald Trump's new aggressive tariff measures.

There was plenty of hype following the April 2 Nintendo Direct, as the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 was finally revealed in great detail alongside a number of long-awaited games.

While some gamers have expressed their fears surrounding Nintendo's radio silence on a long-sustained issue with the original Switch, shocking game reveals have done more than enough to stoke the flames of excitement for most fans.

During the Direct, Nintendo announced that pre-orders would go live on April 9 across the world, and while some retailers in Europe and the UK have let fans secure their slots early, gamers in America might have to wait a bit longer.

As revealed by Tamoor Hussain of GameSpot, Nintendo's official statement surrounding the delay of pre-orders for US customers illustrates:

"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."

While Nintendo are far from the only entity left scrambling following Trump's shock tariff plans - as three of the world's richest billions have lost eye-watering sums of money overnight - it is undeniably a frustrating situation for many fans who are now effectively left in the dark.

It's certainly a comfort to hear that the release date remains the same, but you can now only guess as to when you'll be able to purchase the console, and more importantly how expensive it will end up being.

Currently, the standard Switch 2 price is $450, with a bundle available alongside Mario Kart World for $500 - yet experts indicate that thanks to tariffs these prices could dramatically increase.

Nintendo currently manufacture the large majority of their hardware in China, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which are subject to 34%, 46%, and 49% export tariffs respectively.

Reports from The Verge estimate that, using the worst case tariff rate from Cambodia, buying the Switch 2 could cost as much as $670 - and that's not the only problem.

Gamers have already expressed their frustration at the higher base price of Switch 2 games, leading many to speculate about certain future releases, but aforementioned tariffs could hike these all the way up to $120 in the worst case scenario.

Experts have already warned about the 'significant harm' that Trump's tariffs could bring to consumers in the games industry, and the unfortunate timing of the Nintendo Switch 2's announcement and release could provide a shock when people what the price could jump up to.

There are thankfully certain retailers that allow you to 'shave hundreds' of the price of a new Nintendo Switch 2, but the likely price increase on the horizon might negate any savings made, returning it only to the original pre-tariff price.