Nintendo Switch 2: Over $100 cheaper in Japan

It finally happened: On April 2, Nintendo officially unveiled the Switch 2 during a Nintendo Direct presentation. The new console is set to launch worldwide on June 5, 2025, with pre-orders opening on April 8 exclusively through the My Nintendo Store. In the US, the standard model will be priced at around $449, while in Europe it will cost roughly €469. In Japan, however, Nintendo is taking a different approach by offering a significantly cheaper version.

Nintendo is releasing two versions of the Switch 2 in Japan: a standard model priced at 69,980 yen (about $478), available through the My Nintendo Store Japan, and a cheaper version for 49,980 yen (around $341), sold exclusively by local retailers. The discounted model only supports the Japanese language and requires a Nintendo account registered in Japan. Industry expert Dr. Serkan Toto told VideoGamesChronicle that Nintendo sees Japan as its key market. To maintain its leading position there, the company appears to be deliberately subsidizing the price of the entry-level model. “Japanese users don’t favor multilingual hardware anyway,” Toto added.

Buying a cheap Switch 2 from Japan - feasible, but with many compromises

In theory, gamers outside Japan can also get their hands on the Japanese Switch 2. However, since the budget version is only sold in physical stores, you'll need someone in Japan to purchase and ship it for you. Keep in mind that shipping fees and import taxes can significantly reduce the savings. If you're still thinking about importing the cheaper model, make sure you're aware of the limitations that come with it.

The cheaper Japanese Switch 2 can be used outside Japan as long as you set up a Nintendo account with the region set to Japan – no VPN needed. Physical games from other regions should work fine, as the console isn’t region-locked for cartridges. However, the system language is locked to Japanese and can’t be changed. Users are also limited to the Japanese eShop, where much of the content is only available in Japanese. On top of that, as of March 25, 2025, the Japanese eShop no longer accepts foreign credit cards or PayPal accounts.