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

With the release date and tech specs of the eagerly awaited Nintendo Switch 2 now public, along with an understanding of how much first-party Nintendo games cost on the new console, attention is shifting to the price of the system itself. Although no pricing was disclosed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional prices have emerged on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most economical way to get your hands on the new hardware is in Japan.

This intriguing insight was cleverly pointed out by Duolingo, the educational app renowned for teaching languages including Japanese. They highlighted via a playful tweet that Japan offers two versions of the Switch 2: a multi-language edition priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $477), and a Japanese-only model at 49,980 yen (around $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 single-language console at a reduced price, enabling gamers willing to play in Japanese to save more than $100 compared to the globally available version, which retails at $449.99 in the U.S.

In experts' opinions, the higher international pricing could be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently introduced international tariffs. "Nintendo likely considered potential tariffs, the global inflationary environment, and the $700 price tag Sony set for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," remarked Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

Additionally, Japan is a crucial market for Nintendo, contributing to 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, in contrast to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5. "If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen mirrored the U.S. Dollar price, it would significantly undermine Nintendo's position in Japan, essentially doubling the price from the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, an analyst at Omdia. "Yet, if Nintendo maintained region-specific pricing that is much cheaper in USD terms, they'd encounter issues with grey market imports to other regions."

Even if you're fluent in Japanese, there are still hurdles to obtaining the more affordable system. "The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," declares Nintendo's official 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."

These additional restrictions, along with the fact that the Japanese-only variant is exclusively available through the Japanese My Nintendo Store, indicate that Nintendo is effectively region-locking the console to maintain lower prices for Japanese players.

For a deeper understanding of why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our in-depth analysis as we discuss with industry experts.

For more information on the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review everything showcased at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.