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

With the eagerly awaited release date and technical specifications of the Nintendo Switch 2 now public, along with pricing details for first-party Nintendo games on the new console, the focus shifts to the cost of the system itself. Although no official prices were disclosed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has since appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to own the new hardware is in Japan.

This was humorously pointed out in a tweet from Duolingo, the language-learning app, which noted that Japan is offering two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language model priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477) and a Japanese language-only version 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 this mono-language console at a lower price, players willing to use a Japanese-only system can save over $100 compared to the international version, which retails for $449.99 in the U.S.

According to some experts' opinions, the higher international pricing could be attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump's recently introduced 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."

Additionally, Japan's significance as a key market for Nintendo may play a role. In 2024, Japan accounted for 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base, compared to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5. 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."

However, even for those fluent in Japanese, obtaining the cheaper system comes with its challenges. 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 through the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo effectively region-locks the console to keep costs lower for Japanese consumers.

For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced as they are, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts. To catch up on all the details from this week's Nintendo Direct, everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct is available right here.