"Nintendo Unveils Budget-Friendly Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Reacts"

With the release date and tech specs now revealed for the eagerly awaited Nintendo Switch 2, along with pricing details for first-party Nintendo games on the new console, attention has shifted to the cost of the system itself. Although no prices were officially announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has emerged on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most budget-friendly option for acquiring Nintendo's new hardware is in Japan.

As amusingly pointed out by Duolingo — the language education app — in a tweet, Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language model priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477), and a Japanese-only version available for 49,980 yen (around $341).

Gamers, learn Japanese to save $133! https://t.co/misNmSstIf

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

Since Japan is the only country offering this cheaper, single-language console, players willing to use a Japanese interface can save over $100 compared to the global model, which retails for $449.99 in the U.S.

According to experts' opinions, the higher international pricing might be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently introduced international tariffs. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, remarked, "Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world and the $700 Sony dared to charge for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year."

Another factor could be that Japan is "a key market for Nintendo," where the country accounts for a significant portion (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, in contrast to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

James McWhirter, an analyst at Omdia, elaborated, "If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would dramatically weaken Nintendo's position in Japan, representing a doubling in the list price over the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model. Yet if Nintendo continued to rely on region-specific pricing that is significantly cheaper in USD terms, they would face an issue with grey imports to other territories."

Even for those fluent in Japanese, obtaining the more affordable system poses challenges. Nintendo's website clarifies, "The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only. Only Japanese is available as the system language, and only Nintendo accounts with the country/region set to Japan can be linked to this system."

With these restrictions, and the fact that the Japanese-only variant is exclusively available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is effectively region-locking the console to maintain lower prices for Japanese consumers.

For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts. To stay updated on everything showcased at this week's Nintendo Direct, catch up on everything shown right here.