Trump Clears Path For Nintendo Switch 2

Trump’s Tariff Reversal Clears Path for Nintendo Switch 2 Preorders in the U.S.

No Price Cuts In Sight, But Relief From Additional Price Hikes May Be Enough for Eager Gamers

In a sudden - almost out of the blue, high-stakes pivot move, President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping rollback of tariffs—an unexpected move that might have just cleared the path for the long-anticipated launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 in the United States... and Canada for that matter too.

For days, the gaming community has been .... a tad on edge after Nintendo of Japan stated they were pausing U.S. preorders for the Switch successor, citing "uncertainty" around Trump’s escalating tariff policy. The situation appeared even more dire when country-specific import duties reached upwards of 46% for some regions, threatening to jack up the launch price of the new console—or delay it entirely. It could have theoretically cost $750 or more... just for the console!

But as of today, those concerns seems to have been completely lifted. Trump has officially signed an executive order implementing a universal 10% tariff rate across all countries - well... except China, which now faces a whopping 125% rate. According to the White House, this is part of a 90-day plan to “rebalance” trade relationships and “cool the panic.”

“BE COOL! Everything is going to work out well”

“The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!”

~ Trump posted on Truth Social just hours before the official reversal.

Nintendo hasn’t made any formal announcements as of yet, but I'd imagine that logistics talks with Nintendo have now resumed with retailers across the country.

While the console’s price won’t likely be reduced—let’s be honest, it’s Nintendo—this move helps ensure it won’t be inflated ... at least.. due to government policy. That’s a win for gamers for right now. The bigger concern now is whether Nintendo, which has been facing growing criticism for its increasingly profit-focused decisions, will choose to keep pressing with higher priced games - upwards of $79.99 USD before tax!

Nintendo has come under fire in recent years for anti-consumer practices: locking content behind paywalls, selling underwhelming remasters at full price, and slapping premium tags on hardware refreshes... I mean, the list really goes on and on.. and now, the company’s recent decisions around lack of communicating the pricing to gamers during the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was the last straw for many.

And yet, despite that greed-flavored reputation, even Nintendo didn’t want to mess with Trump’s trade war whatsoever. The initial decision to pause U.S. preorders for the Switch 2 was seen by many as a "direct" (sorry I had to) reaction to the chaos in Washington.

“Well, I thought people were jumping a little bit out of line”

~Trump told reporters at the White House today.

“They were getting a little bit yippy... Unlike these champions.”

~(He was speaking next to a group of NASCAR drivers, for context on this one)

Trump’s about-face on the tariffs here comes just after a week of market chaos and mounting criticism, including from key financial allies. JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon called the tariffs “likely to cause a recession,” prompting Trump to respond with surprising humility.

“Dimon is very smart and... a genius financially”

“Something had to be done with the tariffs and trade.”

This so-called “90-day cooling period” also comes across as a sorta strategic stall, as the White House continues private negotiations with over 75 countries, according to Trump.

“You have to have flexibility”

~ Trump said during today’s media briefing.

“No other president would have done what I did... And it had to be done.”

Retail stocks surged like CRAZY in the aftermath of the announcement, and oil prices rebounded sharply—clear indicators to all that markets were breathing a sigh of relief. It's been a while since I saw anything like it. It felt like the market was mistaking itself for crypto currency for a second there. For the gaming world, this could HOPEFULLY mean a smooth return to global shipping, fewer import headaches, and—even more importantly—the ability to actually get your hands on the Switch 2 sooner rather than later. That is... FOr anyone still interested. The more the days go on, the less excitement I am seeing surrounding this launch. Maybe we are just entering the lull period and it will ramp up again when the release date nears, but as of now, it doesn't look great.

No one expects Nintendo to be generous... ever, but with Trump backing off the tariff gas pedal, it looks like at least that U.S. gamers might be spared the sting of a “tariff tax” on their next-gen console.

Would Nintendo pass the savings on to consumers if there were any? Hahaha. Good one.

But at least now - they’re out of excuses.

Stay tuned for preorder updates—because after all this noise, the silence from Nintendo can’t last much longer.

~Smash