The long-anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 has finally dropped.
Japan-based Nintendo has a long history of making game controllers that change how people play video games, even for those who aren’t traditional gamers. It started in the 1980s with the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), a home console that came with a simple, easy-to-use rectangular controller and introduced millions to gaming through titles like Super Mario Bros.
Over the years, the former playing card company, Nintendo, kept adding new features – such as motion controls for the Wii in 2006, which let players swing the controller like a tennis racket or steering wheel, making gaming more active and accessible for all ages. In 2017, the first Nintendo Switch launched with a new kind of controller called Joy-Cons – basically small, detachable pieces that could slide onto the sides of the main console. This sliding system let people play in different ways: attached for handheld play, held separately for individual hand comfort or shared with a friend for instant two-player games. The Switch became a huge hit, selling over 140 million units worldwide.
Now, with the release of the Switch 2 last week, Nintendo has evolved its game controllers even more.
Instead of sliding onto rails, the new Joy-Cons attach magnetically, making them easier to snap on and off without the potential wear and tear of plastic clips. The updated controllers also feature larger buttons for better comfort and a new voice chat button for improved social play. It’s all part of Nintendo’s ongoing mission to make gaming more flexible, social and fun for everyone.
Everyone, that is, who has $499.99 to buy the base model and a copy of Shigeru Miyamoto’s Mario Kart World. That price tag may well increase if tariffs are added, as the Trump Administration has suggested may occur.
Sometimes timing is everything. Nintendo escalated shipments in anticipation of newly imposed U.S. tariffs and officially launched during a tariff pause period ensuring that, for now, its new gaming console remains “affordable”.
You can be sure that Nintendo will do everything within its means to keep prices in check, as the majority of its revenue comes from software and online subscriptions, neither of which are subject to tariffs, unless the Trump Administration catches wind of this overlooked cash cow.
“In the end, Nintendo wants to sell consoles to get people to buy games and accessories. As a result, it may be willing to hold down the price of consoles.” (Robert Johnson, Economist)
Since 2017, Nintendo has sold over 140 million Switch consoles, with the Switch 2 expected to sell 20–30 million units in its first year. Sony’s PlayStation 5 has sold over 44 million units and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S has reached around 30 million. Nintendo holds about 30% of the global console market, compared to market leader Sony at 45% and Microsoft trailing at 25%.
On software, Nintendo’s exclusive games keep sales steady, with over 40 million Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. In comparison, Xbox Game Pass boasts more than 30 million subscribers, while PlayStation Plus has around 47 million, making subscriptions a key battleground in the evolving gaming landscape. And, so far, none of that will make its way onto the U.S. Treasury balance sheet. Shhhhhhh, let’s keep this a secret!
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