intendo fans were given the opportunity to try out the company’s new product, the Switch 2 gaming device, at an event near Tokyo on Saturday. This came
ahead of a release that some might worry could be overshadowed by tariffs driving up prices.
Hidenori Tanaka, a real estate company employee who attended the event, talked about it, saying, “Since Mr. Trump became president, tariffs have gone up, so I am concerned about a price hike not just for the game console but for accessories too.”.
Consumers throughout the world could also face higher prices for electronic devices due to tariffs imposed by the U.S. President Donald Trump administration on trading partners, which also include China’s raised costs for companies that are operating global supply chains. Even more so, while Trump has also rolled back some tariffs, the threat of a damaging trade war will still be possible.
At the pre-launch event, gamers began lining up outside the Makuhari Messe convention centre near Tokyo, starting from mid-morning, to play Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bonanza, as well as other well-known titles.
Despite the possibility of higher prices, we can also observe the continuous consumer demand for their latest gaming product. The Nintendo Switch 2 has sold more than 150 million units since 2017 and transformed Nintendo’s income.
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On Wednesday, the Kyoto-based gaming company also announced that it had received 2.2 million applications in the lottery for Switch 2 in Japan and could not fulfill all the demand. Hyuma Hashiguchi, a lucky winner of the opportunity to be one of the first to buy the Switch 2, said that “Honestly, I didn't think I had a shot. Everyone on social media was saying they missed out, so I figured I would too.”, reported Reuters.
It is also worth noting that Nintendo is holding hands-on events around the world, including in New York, Berlin, and Hong Kong. The new Nintendo product will also sell for 49,980 yen, meaning $350 for a Japanese-language-only version. In the US, Nintendo first paused its pre-orders due to tariff concerns, yet later stated that they will maintain their pricing at $449.99.
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