Nintendo Launches Affordable Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Reacts

With the eagerly awaited release date and tech specs for the Nintendo Switch 2 now public, along with insights into the pricing of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, the conversation naturally shifts to the cost of the system itself.

Although no prices were announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most budget-friendly way to get your hands on Nintendo's latest hardware is to be in Japan.

As amusingly pointed out by Duolingo, the language learning app, Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language edition priced at 69,980 yen (around $477), and a Japanese-only version for 49,980 yen (about $341).

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

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

Japan being the only country offering a single-language console at a lower price means that gamers willing to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the international version, which is priced at $449.99 in the U.S.

According to some experts' opinions, the higher international pricing might be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

"Nintendo likely considered potential tariffs, the global inflationary environment, and the precedent set by Sony charging $700 for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," commented Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

It's also noted that Japan is a crucial market for Nintendo, representing 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, in contrast to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

"Aligning the Switch 2's pricing in Japanese Yen with the U.S. Dollar price would significantly undermine Nintendo's position in Japan, essentially doubling the price from the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "However, maintaining region-specific pricing that's considerably cheaper in USD terms could lead to issues with grey imports to other territories."

Even if you're fluent in Japanese, there are still hurdles to obtaining the more affordable system.

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is intended for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's 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 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 offer lower prices to Japanese consumers.

For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our comprehensive analysis as we discuss with industry experts.

To stay updated on the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review everything showcased at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.