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

Now that we finally have a release date and tech specs on the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 — as well as an idea of how much first-party Nintendo games cost on the new console — the focus shifts to the cost of the system itself.

While no prices were confirmed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional costings have since appeared on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to own the new hardware is to be in Japan.

As highlighted in a playful tweet from Duolingo — the education app that teaches various languages, including Japanese — Japan is offering two different Switch 2 consoles: a multi-language version, which sells for 69,980 yen (around $477), and a Japanese language-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 a mono-language console option at a lower price, players willing to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the system available globally, which is priced at $449.99 in the U.S.

In the opinions of experts, the higher international price might be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

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

It may also be because Japan is "a key market for Nintendo," with the country accounting for 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 Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would significantly 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."

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's own 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 additional limitations, and the fact that the Japanese-only variant is only available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is effectively region-locking the console to keep costs down for Japanese players.

For more on why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are so expensive, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2, you can catch up on everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.