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

With the much-anticipated release date and tech specs of the Nintendo Switch 2 now revealed, along with insights into the costs of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, attention has shifted to the pricing of the system itself. Although no prices were announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has emerged on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to purchase the new hardware is in Japan.

A playful tweet from Duolingo, the educational app known for teaching languages including Japanese, pointed out that Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language edition priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477), and a Japanese-only edition for 49,980 yen (about $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 option, players willing to use the system in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the international version, which is priced at $449.99 in the U.S.

According to experts' opinions, the higher international price could be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced 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."

Japan's importance as a key market for Nintendo, accounting for 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024 (compared to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5), may also play a role. James McWhirter, an analyst at Omdia, explained, "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 if you are fluent in Japanese, there are still hurdles to obtaining the cheaper system. According to Nintendo's website, "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 in-depth analysis as we discuss with industry experts.

To stay updated on everything related to the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review all the highlights from this week's Nintendo Direct right here.