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

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 — attention turns to the cost of the system itself.

Although no prices were confirmed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional pricing has 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.

In a playful tweet, Duolingo — the educational app known for teaching languages, including Japanese — pointed out that Japan offers two different Switch consoles: a multi-language version priced at 69,980 yen (approximately $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

Japan stands alone as the only country offering a mono-language console option at a lower price, allowing gamers willing to play in Japanese to save over $100 compared to the system available elsewhere, which is priced at $449.99 in the U.S.

According to experts' opinions, the higher international price could be influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

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

This pricing strategy may also reflect Japan's importance as "a key market for Nintendo," where the country made up a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch's 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 matched the U.S. Dollar price, it would significantly undermine Nintendo's position in Japan, effectively doubling the list price from the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "However, if Nintendo continued with region-specific pricing that is much cheaper in USD terms, they would face challenges with grey imports to other regions."

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

With these additional restrictions, and the fact that the Japanese-only variant is exclusively available through the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo effectively region-locks the console to maintain lower prices for Japanese players.

For more insight into why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are priced so high, check out our in-depth analysis as we consult industry experts.

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