Nintendo Unveils Budget Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Reacts

With the release date and tech specs of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 now revealed, along with insights into the cost of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, attention is shifting to the price 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 own the new hardware is in Japan.

A playful tweet from Duolingo, the language learning app, pointed out that Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language model priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $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 is the only country offering a mono-language console at a lower price, allowing players comfortable with Japanese to 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 might be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, noted, "Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world, and the $700 Sony charged for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year."

Japan's significance 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, also plays 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 for those fluent in Japanese, obtaining the cheaper system presents challenges. Nintendo's website states, "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 costs for Japanese players.

For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts. To stay updated on everything revealed at this week's Nintendo Direct, catch up on everything shown right here.