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

Now that we have the release date and tech specs for the eagerly awaited Nintendo Switch 2, along with insights into the cost of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, the focus shifts to the price of the console itself.

Although no prices were officially announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to own the new hardware is in Japan.

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

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

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

Japan stands alone as the only country offering a cheaper mono-language console, allowing players willing to use a Japanese interface 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 global price might be influenced by the recently announced international tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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

Additionally, Japan being "a key market for Nintendo" plays a role, with the country making up a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

"If the Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen were to match the U.S. Dollar price, it would significantly undermine Nintendo's position in Japan, effectively doubling the price compared to the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," noted James McWhirter, an analyst at Omdia. "However, maintaining region-specific pricing that's significantly cheaper in USD could lead to grey market imports into other regions."

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is intended for use exclusively in Japan," according to Nintendo's website. "The system language is limited to Japanese, and only Nintendo accounts set to Japan as the country/region can be linked to this system."

With these restrictions, and the fact that the Japanese-only variant is only available through the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is effectively region-locking the console to keep costs lower 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 where we discuss insights from industry experts.

To learn more about the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review all the details revealed at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.