Nintendo Launches Budget-Friendly Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Joins the Fun

With the release date and tech specs of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 now revealed, along with the pricing of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, attention is shifting to the cost of the console itself. Although no official prices were announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing details have appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to purchase the new hardware is in Japan.

In a playful tweet, Duolingo—the language learning app—pointed out that Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language version priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477) and a Japanese-only edition for 49,980 yen (about $341). This means that gamers willing to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the international version, which costs $449.99 in the U.S.

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

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

Japan being the only country offering a cheaper, mono-language console suggests that international pricing might be influenced by factors such as U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs. According to experts' opinions, these tariffs, along with global inflation and the high price point of the PlayStation 5 Pro, could be contributing to the higher costs outside of Japan.

"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," said Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

Additionally, Japan is a critical 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. "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, acquiring the cheaper system presents challenges. "The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed 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 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 consumers.

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 all the latest news about the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.