Nintendo

A mini competitive analysis

Steam Deck 256 GB: $400 Xbox Series X digital: $435 PS5 digital: $450 Steam Deck 512 GB: $450 Xbox Series X w/ drive: $500 PS5 w/ drive: $500 PS5 Pro digital: $700 PS5 Pro w/ drive: $780

OK, so currently Switch 2 sits in the middle of the pack and competes head-to-head with a 512 GB Steam Deck. If they somehow didn't factor in potential tariffs, an adjusted price would be $550, near the top of the list.

I think it's more likely they factored in a lower tariff rate and they're now pausing to do a competitive analysis around a bump to $500. That would put it on par with the PS5 and Xbox drive versions, but it would make the Steam Deck more attractive.

It seems pretty clear Nintendo is thinking about the Steam Deck. The official Steam Deck dock also does 4K at 60 Hz. The price is the same as the 512 GB model, which has faster memory, probably like the Switch 2. That said, that Steam Deck model has double the internal storage and access to about a zillion more games. So right now they're putting perhaps a $50 premium on it compared to the 256 GB model based on access to Nintendo exclusives.

Can the US market support a $100 Nintendo premium? Most likely... but they're surely sensitive to another Wii U debacle, and that price will mean Switch 2 is unlikely to ever be as successful as the original. So these are likely some of the factors they're weighing right now.

Nintendo is fairly conservative about risk. I suspect they'll hedge their bets and pick something just shy of $500, probably $479 or $489.

Edit: A friend just informed me that during the previous Trump administration, Nintendo moved a lot of their manufacturing to Vietnam, which is subject to a 46% tariff. That changes my calculus and it may be that the price goes much higher that I originally speculated as a result.

Then they came for the gamers, but there was no one left to speak up.

Americans are going to be significantly re-evaluating what's worth it for them now and progressively become more like consumers in other countries. As in they'll be spending less and using things longer than before

In the Australian market the base model is:

• selling for au$700
• if we remove GST we get au$635..45
• and convert to USD for us$383.91

If we compare the listed US price:

• 450 ÷ 383.91 = 1.172

So the US price was already about 17% higher than our local price, a position that may have been taken in anticipation of the US tariffs.

How do the other international pre sales tax prices compare to the US? Is this pattern across the board or is Australia an anomaly?

@neme In France pre ordering is 439,99€ I wished 100€ less... Will wait for my Switch v2 to die from old age at that point.

Games are not worth it anymore. I just quit gaming all together. Gaming is for the rich and children.