
In the rest of the world, the Switch 2 is comparatively priced to the PS5 – but Nintendo knows where its bread is buttered.
The Mario maker has come up with a fascinating solution to the weakening yen and the threat of exports: a Japanese language-only system which will retail for ¥49,980 (~$338).
That’s significantly less than the $450 the system will sell for in the US, and it’s almost half the price of the PS5, which currently retails for ¥79,980 (~$542).
Interestingly, Nintendo will also sell a multi-language version of the Switch 2 for ¥69,980 (~$474) in Japan, but it clearly expects most domestic consumers to cough up for the cheaper option.
The strategy should, in theory, help deter the device from getting exported overseas – and it’ll presumably prevent importers from taking advantage of the poor Japanese economy.
But for Sony, this may be the final nail in its domestic coffin.
PS5 has been doing fine in its local market, but it’s consistently been outsold by the Switch, and its ever-increasing prices have stalled its momentum. It’d take an extremely optimistic outlook to expect anything other than a hearty butt stomping here.
Sony, of course, may not care. The Japanese market is an undeniably important one, but it’s focused more on growing its presence globally these days.
Therefore, the company may have simply ceded the advantage to Nintendo here, and it’ll just scoop up any remaining portions of the market that are left.
Comments 31
Yeah, i dont think Sony is suddenly gonna start caring now, since Switch 1 has always done better than PS5.
I do think Sony should do a price cut for the Japanese market though, that price is too high
@LogicStrikesAgain Sadly, they're more likely to do a price increase these days.
For most of the world, PS5 is now considerably more expensive than it was when it released.
Crazy!
A Japanese only console is a really interesting idea and would make sense to have over there. I doubt Sony will be too bothered though. They left Japan behind long ago and probably still expect Nintendo to outsell them there as they did before regardless.
$338 is almost half of $542 according to Pushsquare
Ahahaha
And sh... A console that doesn't even have 40% of the power is cheaper, shocker
Ngl I don't think nintendo is worried about ps5 in japan
@JackiePriest Sony historically has been very adamant they don’t see Nintendo as a competitor. Indeed, neither does Microsoft. While Nintendo makes strides into both companies’ territories on a regular basis, they have always just done their own thing. Timed exclusives may cause a shift in this dynamic, as will exclusives such as The Duskbloods, but by and large it’ll be a while before anyone suddenly starts getting salty in a public facing role corporate side.
The Switch 2 is more expensive than the Playstation 5 in NZ, it's comparable to the PS5 with Astro Bot pack in, Mario Kart is $129
You know which audience Nintendo actually cares about now.
I think this is perhaps the wrong way to look at it - I think (just from my personal perspective) that the Switch 2 in the West is being over priced. In Oz, the LCD Switch is full price AUD469... so the LCD Switch 2 is about AUD230 more expensive (at AUD699). That compares to the full price PS5 Digital at AUD 679. So it's literally cheaper to buy a digital PS5 than Switch 2.
Now that could be justified if the Switch 2 had significantly different features (for a handheld) - but the problem I have is that a lot of the games that were presented looked not substantially better than a PS4 level graphics. Perhaps that was the stream quality - but having clunky online chat (welcome to the new millenium) does not equal a substantial difference. The Direct (in my mind) didn't give many compelling reasons why the Switch 2 was that much better.... especially when most of it was made up of games that we've played/seen before, or can be played cheaper (and better) on a Steam Deck (which you can buy the 256GB version for AUD649). Even the Steam Deck is cheaper than the Switch 2.
An exclusive From Soft game is great and all - but charging for upgrades to Switch 1 games (which in the case of BOTW they pad out with services that could be given to Switch). This is kinda pretty cynically cash-grabby. Including charging for a tutorial and info app. What the literal F...?
Now - back to the topic - I think Japan is definitely being subsidized significantly (because they know they'll sell a crap-tonne there), but what I don't understand is how this isn't price gouging? I get the US with it's tariff crap, but as an Australian, I don't think this is reasonable pricing.
Sony don't really care about the Japanese market though, most of their sales come from US and Europe which the Switch 2 is more expensive than the Digital PS5.
There's a big reason why Sony spread their wings to other Asian countries like China, Korea, etc because they knew Japan is pretty much a Nintendo land.
So why spent a lot of resources in a Nintendo land that only brought very little rewards, when Sony can used those resources towards other markets?
Not to mention currently Japan economy is in bad shape. People will prioritize their money towards daily needs over video games.
@UltimateOtaku91 Japan is still one of their biggest markets, though.
@PuppetMaster "Not to mention currently Japan economy is in bad shape. People will prioritize their money towards daily needs over video games."
The sales of Nintendo hardware and software suggest otherwise. Even when people are struggling, it seems they're still willing to buy certain things, like video games.
Damn, if only the Switch 2 was that price in the USA.
@naruball Japan stopped being a console-focussed country perhaps 5-10 years ago. It's been mobile and (slowly increasing as PC) since then. The point is that in Japan, they have a baked in safe market that's not going to be susceptible to tariff (or currency) movements. What is more interesting is how the extra stock they moved to the US pre-tariff might end up being a negative (if the S2 doesn't go off... their price strategy makes that look less attractive, when you can buy a PS5 cheaper at full-price).
Would one decide on switch 2 vs ps5 just because of the price, without checking what the two systems have to offer ? Why did not everybody buy an xbox-ss instead of a more expensive ps5 in europe/us ?
Maybe, if You just want a Christmas gift and You do not have any understanding of what You buy.
Otherwise, I would say You buy a switch (2) if You want the "best" handheld or if You are mostly interested in nintendo games (and ps4 level games), You buy a ps5 if You don't need that flexibility and do not care about nintendo games or if You want to play playstation exclusives or if You are mostly interested in cinematic games (and do not want a pc). At the moment the problem of ps5 in Japan is that its flagship games do not seem to appeal to the Japanese audience enough
@gaston good point. There are so many other factors to consider. For me it's also trophies and literally thousands of digital (and physical) games I own on ps consoles, but haven't played yet.
Sony is pretty much the only one who understands that China will be the leading market in the future. The Switch 2 isn't even officially sold in China, which explains why no Chinese game has been announced for the Switch 2.
If Sony achieves even a 1% market share in China, it will offset the loss in Japan.
Yet it's more expensive than the PS5 in the west.
I've heard that's Nintendo already baking in American import tariffs into the price.
The rest suffer the same to close a loophole of Americans importing it from Europe, aus etc at a cheaper price
Cheers Americans
Sony will be fine, but let's not forget that Playstation is now about as Japanese as mom's apple pie these days.
I assume Nintendo will always dominate the console market there. But it will be a rapidly shrinking market.
@naruball That’s a good point — most of us are honed into one particular ecosystem because of digital libraries which carry over from the last generation and also commitment to our trophies and achievements. Not to mention the comfort level with a particular UI, controller, and storefront.
It’s why I’m really satisfied with doing portable gaming through the Portal rather than buying a Switch or SteamDeck. I have hundreds of games and thousands of dollars invested into my PS library, so why would I spend the time and money starting a whole new library?
That’s where Xbox has really taken it in the teeth — they “lost” the most important generation when people started shifting to digital and were able to bring over their PS4 or XB1 libraries to the current gen, and they focused on a GP service that is more easily thrown away because you don’t carry the games with you in perpetuity like owning it.
Nintendo fans are probably similar, they’ll pay a premium just to bring over their Switch library and stay in an ecosystem they are comfortable with. Over here we are looking at the pricing and thinking it’s a no-brainer to buy a more powerful PS5 that also has cheaper games and more services, but over on NintendoLife they are salivating at making the upgrade to Switch 2 without blinking an eye.
Smart, most of it will be scalped and sold to other country since japan console is cheaper, good for nintendo I guess.
The problem isn't the price of the console though, it's the price of it's games 😕
If Nintendo wanted to kill off PS5 in Japan then Splatoon 4 would have been a launch title.😂
Are gacha games big in Japan or is that just a Chinese thing? I still haven't seen anything like Genshin Impact or Infinity Nikki mentioned for Switch 2. It does have Fortnite which is free to play but it doesn't seem very Gatcha, just free w/ stuff to buy but nothing random I'm aware of.
Not sure how many people in Japan are buying PS5 just to play Gatcha games but that's not really my point. The point is if people are playing those games on PS5 b/c they can, but then they all come to Switch 2, it's 1 less reason to turn on your PS5.🤷♂️
The switch 2 is built on out dated node low power around a ps4 pro+ on power no real new innovation ! To dam high $ for the aka console for what u are getting ! And the games to high $ and want u to pay to upgrade your games u already own ! I myself will be skipping the SW-2 till they pull there head out there butt or may be never ! And people say Sony gets a big head seems Nintendo does something really stupid ever other gen !
"but Nintendo knows where its bread is buttered."
Lol I really like this line
On a more serious notes on this news, that Switch 2 direct actually had the opposite effect on me. CA$629 for a base console is a hard price to swallow so it's no longer gonna be a day 1 purchase.
Until Switch 2 undercuts the price of PS5 games, we're gonna have to wait and see.
This seems wildly unnecessary since surely the Switch 2 would outsell the PS5 in Japan by default regardless.
@naruball Yes, indeed for people who have already a library a switch ( platform switch ) is certainly something to consider and platform features like trophies, or "friends" for multiplayer might weight in heavily on a decision.
Following the high prices, Nintendo probably knew people would import the Switch 2 right from Japan where it’d be pretty darn cheap due to the weak yen, but that would leave unpurchased stock in the US and not enough units for Japan. Maybe this led to Nintendo choosing to do this cheaper Japanese-only unit for Japan and have pricing the same around the world
For some reason, after converting, the Switch 2 is £330 in Australia. I'm there right now for a little bit, so I might pick one up.
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...