"Nintendo Launches Affordable Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Reacts"

Now that we finally have a release date and tech specs for the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, along with an idea of how much first-party Nintendo games cost on the new console, the focus shifts to the cost of the system itself.

While no prices were confirmed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional costings have since appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the cheapest way to own Nintendo's new hardware is to be in Japan.

As highlighted in a cheeky tweet from Duolingo — the education app that teaches various languages, including Japanese — Japan is selling two different Switch consoles: a multi-language version, priced at 69,980 yen (around $477), and a Japanese language-only edition for 49,980 yen (about $341).

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

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

As Japan is the only country offering a mono-language console option at a lower price, this means players willing to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the system the rest of the world has to buy, which is priced at $449.99 in the U.S.

In some experts' opinions, the higher international price may be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

"Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate worldwide, and the $700 Sony charged for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," said Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

It may also be because Japan is "a key market for Nintendo," with the country accounting for a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

"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," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "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 if you are fluent in Japanese, there are still barriers to obtaining the cheaper system.

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's own website. "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 additional limitations, coupled with the fact that the Japanese-only variant is only available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is essentially region-locking the console to keep costs down for Japanese players.

For more on why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are so expensive, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2, you can catch up on everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.