How Nintendo dodged Trump’s tariffs and saved the Switch 2 release

Fortunate timing and government hesitation allowed the Switch 2 to come out on time, but the headache isn't over

Nintendo fans across the US are breathing a sigh of relief as they tear apart the boxes housing their new Nintendo Switch 2 video game consoles. On-again, off-again trade tariffs implemented by Donald Trump, which precipitated pre-order delays from Nintendo, made the 5 June release date of the highly coveted hardware feel more like a hope than a certainty. A potential price hike up from $450 loomed over launch day, but would-be buyers' fears did not come to fruition.

Nintendo's maneuvering around Trump's tariffs isn't over, though - far from it. The Japanese console maker managed to luckily launch its device squarely within a 90-day tariff pause issued by the president. If tariffs on countries such as India and Japan return to the levels proposed during Trump's liberation day" speech at the start of April, however, experts say Nintendo will have to limber up for yet another delicate trade policy dance.