2 days Ago
In Japan, demand was through the roof. An auction-based preordering system drew about 2.2 million applications in a competitive lottery. Some stores held additional lotteries to allow more fans to have a chance to get the new console.
Koji Takahashi, who had failed to win a main draw but won a secondary store lottery, traveled to the store four hours before it opened with the hope of picking up rare accessories for his new device. “My heart breaks for those who didn’t make it in the lottery. But I also struggled to get to this point, so I hope they forgive me!” he said.
Enhanced features and upcoming new games
Switch 2 has a bigger, high-resolution screen, and improved processing power for more fluid, colorful graphics. Nintendo expects to sell 15 million units by the end of its fiscal year in March 2026. Several new games are in the works to pique the console’s popularity, including games from the “Legend of Zelda,” “Pokemon” and “Kirby” series as well as from third-party developers.
Nintendo is also expanding its physical presence, with a new store opening in San Francisco and the opening of a Super Nintendo World amusement area in Orlando, Fla., which are both slated for this month.
U.S. Tariffs and Pricing
The U.S. debut ran into trouble amid new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. The company postponed pre-orders by several weeks as it weighed the fallout. When it finally did emerge, the pre-order process descended into chaos, leaving many fans angry and the console sold out in an instant.
In the U.S., the Switch 2 costs $449.99 — quite an increase from the $299 price the original version launched at. Even so, there's high hopes for the software and features that will be delivered later in the year.
