In a much-anticipated online presentation Wednesday evening, Nintendo announced several key details of its upcoming Switch 2, the company’s first major new games console in more than eight years, including a June 5 release date.
Nintendo is pricing the Switch 2 at $450 in the U.S. and ¥49,980 in Japan. But in an unexpected curveball, the Japanese model will only support the Japanese language and won’t play games from other regions, unlike the current Switch. Nintendo will sell a multiregion version for ¥69,980 in Japan via its online store.
The move likely reflects the recent shift in exchange rates. The Switch sold for $299.99 and ¥29,980 in Japan upon release in March 2017, meaning a direct dollar-yen conversion would have more than doubled the price in Nintendo’s home market.
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