Trade winds, tariffs, and misreading the market. All of these things can affect how a business runs, and if a new product launch is involved, decide whether it lives or dies.
However, I can’t recall a moment where it looked like an impending launch was heading for a very obvious failure as that facing the Switch 2 — and if Nintendo gets it wrong, it could have very positive results for retro gaming.
Nintendo vs. your wallet
On first glance, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a great option for anyone who wants a fun gaming experience with access to older games. Along with all the other Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack bonuses, the Switch 2 is launching with 3 Nintendo GameCube titles.
But with a bit of scrutiny, things seem to crumble. The price of the console, edging towards £500 if you get Mario Kart World bundled in, puts it in the same bracket as the Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X. Hardware wise, this isn’t a match — the pricing seems to have been set as a reaction to Steam Deck and its various clones and wannabes.
(Let’s set aside the fact that the Steam Deck-alikes can all play far more games than a Nintendo Switch 2.)
Nvidia’s chipset in the Nintendo Switch 2, with DLSS-enhanced graphics, is worth shouting about, but this seems to be hardware focused on portability and low power. The controllers, too, are impressive, with dual purpose as mouses for certain games. But the apparent lack of Hall-effect thumbsticks has draw further criticism of Nintendo, which had drift issues with the original Switch controllers to such an extent that they some had to be replaced.
Oh, and then there is the price of a cartridge. £75 is abhorrent, pure and simple, at a time when sales of £60 games are down, and the European markets are suffering a “cost of living” crisis.
Orange Man Season
Much has already been written about the reciprocal tariffs put in place by the POTUS, and Japan has been hit pretty hard already. While I suspect all of these concerns are largely short-term and will alleviate eventually, the truth is that tariffs are now in place for a piece of hardware that is around £100 more expensive, with expensive games on top.
Trump’s tariffs, and international reaction to them, represent a challenge to Nintendo that it will not have been expecting a few months ago. I don’t think I’m alone in suspecting the NS2 could be set to follow the Nintendo pattern, despite all attempts to avoid this.
Given console pricing and tariffs, not to mention cart pricing, would not be surprised if #NintendoSwitch2 launches in Japan only this year.
— The Gadget Monkey (@thegadgetmonkey) April 7, 2025
A combination of factors seems to be conspiring against Nintendo – the end result could be a GC/WiiU repeat and not a Wii/Switch successor
Everyone has a retro-ready portable device
The USA’s currently economic policy is already causing people to reconsider the lifespan of the phone in their pocket. Is this a bad thing, if it reduces the impact on landfill? It’s a question for another time, but worth thinking on.
But the real point is that both Android and iPhones have emulators and re-releases in their app stores that faciliate retro gaming. They’re portable, and with wireless HDMI technology can be streamed direct to a modern TV. Oh, and pairing a controller to your phone with Bluetooth is as easy as blinking these days.
Even if you’re an outlier without a smartphone, you have a tablet or a PC. Similarly, old games are available, whether through digital delivery or by relying on emulation suites. I’m not a big fan of wasting time configuring emulators, but they’re getting better.
The gaming industry cannot sustain $100 games
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the AAA gaming model lately. Layoffs, closures, and deadlines stretched into incredulity have left me wondering just when things will collapse. I suspect GTA 6, if it ever arrives, might just be the tent pole title that heralds a closure to this genre/era of high gloss third person narrative.
Competitors will not be able to compete. It makes sense that they will focus down, back towards playability. Inevitably there will be games that rely on ai generated graphics to justify the budgets. But i dont see these drawing a huge amount of longevity.
Given the insane pricing of games in the past few years, and where it seems to be heading thanks to the Switch 2, the industry needs to start bedding in for a storm.
The retro library is ready to be played
Nintendo’s timing is appalling, and if Chinese, Taiwanese, and U.S. retaliations — not to mention Japan’s own — keep escalating, the Switch 2 could seriously launch only in its home territory until 2026.
As I see it, the answer for gamers is to stick to what you’re already playing, expand your library through offers, and start exploring back catalogues. Gaming is likely to hit a plateau before the “Hollywoodization” of the industry causes a crash and companies have to restructure like never before.
Jobs will be lost, inevitably, and new companies will spring up, hopefully aiming to focus on the player and providing a fun and affordable gaming experience. Economic shock may well happen, but if it means the end of over the top production standards and inflation-breaking pricing, and a focus on quality gaming, the sooner we get there, the better.
The indies can come out of this madness in better shape than the giants. Until that happens, my gaming collection is calling.
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
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