Nintendo Launches Budget Japanese-Only Switch 2, Duolingo Joins In On The Fun

With the release date and tech specs of the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 now unveiled, alongside insights into the cost of first-party Nintendo games on the new console, the focus has shifted to the pricing of the system itself. Although no official prices were announced during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing details have surfaced on Nintendo's country-specific websites, revealing that the most cost-effective way to purchase the new hardware is in Japan.

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

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

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

Japan is unique in offering this mono-language console option, allowing players comfortable with Japanese 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 international pricing could be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recent international tariffs. "Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world, and the $700 Sony charged for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," remarked Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

Japan's significance as "a key market for Nintendo," where the country accounts for 24% of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared to just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5, may also contribute to this pricing strategy.

"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 for those fluent in Japanese, there are additional hurdles to accessing the more affordable system. "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."

These restrictions, combined with the fact that the Japanese-only variant is exclusively available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, effectively region-locks the console, maintaining lower costs for Japanese consumers.

For a more detailed analysis on 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 everything revealed about the Nintendo Switch 2, you can review everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.