When Nintendo announced that Switch 2 would cost $ 450, my first reaction was disappointment. “Why does it cost much more?” I thought about myself. “Why do Japan get cheaper?” My mind added jealousy, as soon as I learned that Nintendo would sell Japan model only The equivalent of only $ 333.
I felt that Nintendo is about to outperform the rest of the whole world to modestly improve the 300 dollar control unit, and do not come with an OLED screen or anti -reduction magnetic sticks. Certainly, Nintendo can not cost much more, especially seeing how exactly the same devices sell to a lot of “less” in Japan?
But although Nintendo may charge more than I want to spend, especially with its 80 -dollar games, its button, which makes you pay additional, I no longer think the company is clearly unfair to players outside Japan. The price of $ 450 is more logical when you think about what happened to the dollar and the yen.
Since March 3, 2017, for the first time, Nintendo has not changed the price of the original key in the United States or Japan. The mobile control unit costs $ 300 or $ 32,378 in 2017; It costs $ 300 or slightly higher than 32,978 Uwan today, eight years later. But the American economy and the Japanese economy have no It has been the same since 2017. inflation and stock prices have changed dramatically since then.
On the one hand, the US dollar is now buying less in the United States than it was in 2017. American inflation means that the key of $ 300 is original It will cost Nearly $ 400 if it is presented today. The same applies in Japan, which was historically low enlargement, or even contraction, until somewhat recently. Key ¥ 32,378 It will cost Like ¥ 36000 today if you follow Nintendo this trend.
On the other hand, US dollars are now greatly worth more In Japan because the Japanese yen is significantly weak. Comparison: On January 13, 2017, the day Nintendo announced the original Switch price, you can get 114 yen per US dollar. On April 2, 2025, on the day Nintendo announced that Switch 2, every dollar was worth nearly 150 yen. Each dollar buys 30 percent in Japan more than it was at the time.
Japan suffers from more tourism than ever as a result of this weak yen, to the extent that some scenic sites in particular have become more than that – It was international news When a small town near Mount Fuji set up a barrier to prevent people from preventing the streets while repeating the famous Instagram snapshot from the mountain integrated with a store. I just returned from a two -week trip to Japan, and I have never taken good for a little money.
But the Japanese population cannot say the same. Not only Japan started the experience Food food pricesBut they According to what was reported, do not keep pace with wages. It is not fair to say, “Oh, Japan only paid $ 330 to switch 2 while we pay $ 450”, because it is both of them Japanese and international publications cost approximately 50 percent more than nintendo fees for the original key. Transition from $ 300 to $ 450 is a 50 percent increase; The transition from the key 32,978 to 49,980 from Switch 2 49,980 is 51.6 per cent. This indicates that Nintendo may say the fact that the price was not designed to anticipate the definitions.
Instead, it is possible that the contrast that we see is because the dollar goes far further, and because the yen does not. As one of the game Gameer is based on Tokyo Put it“The salaries and the cost of living have never changed here, so 49,980 feels like $ 450.” An enjoyable intellectual experience: If the exchange rates are the same as it was in 2017, Switch 2 Japan will only cost $ 434 in the United States. It will cost $ 450 if the dollar drowns to 111 yen or less, This is what I did During large parts of 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
If Japan -based Nintendo decides that the correct price for 2 percent increases by 50 percent of the original key, it follows a kind of the US model will cost 50 percent as well.
Even the area locks logically, as much as I hate the idea. If Nintendo does not close it, foreigners can take advantage of the weak yen to buy and the fold of Japanese versions around the world, similar to what it is According to what was happening, it is happening with Japanese gaming stores.
But Nintendo can Shipping of 50 percent shipping more After eight years by hand after eight years? This is where I am sure. Although inflation in the United States may help justify a key of $ 400 (again, the original switch of $ 300 will cost approximately $ 400 in today’s fund Take the distance With a exchange of $ 450 because the real competition is minimal.
Sony, Microsoft PlayStations and Xboxes will not have real years to come, and laptop PC makers are still struggling to overcome the steam surface, not to mention the switch. (Nintendo can sometimes sell more keys in one month of selling laptops to games per year.)
And while you can currently buy a new PS5 in the United States with less than the key 2, this is not true in Japan – then three It costs prices, the cheapest PS5 digital version now 72,980 yen, 46 percent more than the new switch in Japan only, and the PS5 PROS costs from Sony 119,980 yen.
Even the cheapest steam surface in Japan costs 20 percent more than a key 2, at 59,800 yuanin for the 256 GB LCD model, so the key really stands alone. Perhaps this is the reason why the atmosphere of the player in Japan is very positive despite its 50 percent high price. “The general consensus between the Japanese players was in response to this.” Thank you Nintendo, please become the ruling party in our next country, ” He writes Automaton.
Certainly the atmosphere is not pink in the United States, but at least the price is now logical to me. Now that President Donald Trump gave companies such as Nintendo a 90 -day postponement of many of his definitions, a period of time covering the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, Nintendo may be able to get and eat it as well. Nintendo can release it at its promised price and blame Trump for any later increase. Perhaps $ 450 today looks generous.
