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New 25% US-Japan Tariffs May Skyrocket Switch 2 Prices & Delay Restocks

Nintendo Gaming News

July 18, 2025

Key Takeaway

Trump’s planned 25% tariffs on Japanese exports may force Nintendo to hike Switch 2 prices and strain supply chains.

Nintendo’s mid-case patent revision using vague "even when" phrasing risks derailing its Palworld lawsuit.

Nintendo is opening its secretive online playtest to 40,000 Switch and Switch 2 users worldwide from July 29 to August 11 with strict confidentiality rules.

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US-Japan Tariffs Could Drive Up Switch 2 Prices and Disrupt Supply

U.S. consumers could face sticker shock on Nintendo’s new Switch 2 console after President Trump announced 25% tariffs on all Japanese exports effective August 1.

Industry experts warn that higher duties will not only affect hardware sourced from Japan but also consoles assembled in China and Southeast Asia, driving up retail prices and potentially delaying restocks. Meanwhile, economists foresee a shift toward digital game downloads—already high in the U.S.—as players seek to avoid tariff-inflated physical bundles.

Key points:

25% tariff set for August 1 on Japanese exports

Switch 2 pre-orders delayed from April 9 to 24 due to tariff uncertainty

Digital downloads may offset rising hardware costs

Nintendo’s Patent Rewrite May Derail Palworld Lawsuit

Nintendo has taken the unusual step of amending a core patent in the middle of its lawsuit against Pocketpair over Palworld’s mid-air creature switching mechanic, a move experts call a desperate “Hail Mary.”

The revised patent introduces vague terms like “even when” and “even if,” which legal specialists say undermine the clarity and enforceability of Nintendo’s claims.

Pocketpair has already altered Palworld to remove contested animations, cited prior-art examples (Titanfall 2, Rune Factory, modded Minecraft), and shown the mechanic predated Nintendo’s filing.

With each update chipping away at Nintendo’s legal footing, the gaming giant risks losing a case it once viewed as routine IP defense.

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Nintendo Expands Switch Online Playtest to 40,000 Slots, Adds Switch 2 Support

Nintendo is reviving its Switch Online Playtest Program this July, now open to up to 40,000 participants on both Switch and Switch 2. Applications for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members run from July 21–23, with selections handled on a first-come, first-served basis outside Japan (randomized in Japan due to demand).

• Testing Period: July 29–August 11
• Eligibility: 18+, NSO + Expansion Pack, accounts in US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
• Signup: Individuals or groups of up to four

Participants will explore the same secretive sandbox service trialed in late 2024, under strict nondisclosure—the software won’t appear on the eShop and all footage must stay under wraps.

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