Fans drive huge Nintendo Switch 2 launch; others play the waiting game

After a trade war delayed pre-orders, the Nintendo Switch 2 finally debuted worldwide on Thursday.

Fans across the country waited in line for days or even weeks for their chance to buy the console, which boasts a bigger screen, robust social features and detachable controllers that can also act like computer mice.

“I really love the new design of it,” says Jacey Adler, an influencer who attended a midnight release event in New York City. “You can play with friends too, and the ability to not just have gaming be a solo experience but be able to see and talk to your friends while you play is such a cool aspect of the Switch 2.”

Other attendees had more mixed reactions to the new features.

“I was using the mouse mode and the mouse felt very sensitive,” says Simone De Rochefort, a video creator for the online outlet Polygon. “I was having a lot of trouble with my little spaceship that was flying around, trying to dodge spiky balls — that was a little tough for me.”

Mario Kart World sells for $80 and is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 system.
Mario Kart World sells for $80 and is exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2 system. (Nintendo)

But the Switch 2’s novel controllers weren’t the real star of the show.

That honor goes to Mario Kart World, the latest installment in a series that has sold millions of copies since the 1990s. This time, the game presents a vast world to freely explore alongside the usual Grand Prix competitions.

Even a racing defeat at the release event didn’t dampen Bowen Yang’s enthusiasm for the new Mario Kart Game.

“Look, I did my best, I don’t know that I picked the best stats for my vehicle,” said the Saturday Night Live cast member, “But that was the perfect amuse bouche for what will surely be a thrilling time in the knockout rounds. So I can’t wait to experience that from the comfort of my home with my friends or enemies.”

While the Switch 2 has been selling out at retailers, some gamers blanched at its cost: $449, which is significantly higher than the $299 launch price of the original Switch.

“The first batch of sales will all go to the diehard fans, and they’re price elastic,” says Joost van Dreunen, adjunct assistant professor at New York Universitys Stern School of Business and CEO of the data firm Aldora. “They don’t really care what it costs.”

Fans pose with Nintendo Switch 2 systems at a new Nintendo store in San Francisco.
Fans pose with Nintendo Switch 2 systems at a new Nintendo store in San Francisco. (Nintendo of America)

The Switch 2 will likely be scarce for months to come, even during the holiday shopping season. But Nintendo’s most significant challenge may be convincing its own users to upgrade.

“The Nintendo Switch 2 has really been designed from the ground up to be a modern machine and so under the hood is way more processing power, way more memory,” says Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of product development and publishing. “And so the gameplay opportunities that it can create and the graphical capabilities of it are an order of magnitude over the original Nintendo Switch.”

But van Dreunen thinks many existing customers, like himself, will need more convincing.

“I’m a huge fan and I’m happy to wait a little bit,” says van Dreunen. “I’ll get it when I’m ready for it.”

Nintendo projects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles by the end of the fiscal year in March 2026.

But it remains to be seen whether the Switch 2 will come close to the record-breaking 150 million units that the original Switch sold.

Transcript:

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally out. It’s a sequel to one of the most popular video game consoles of all time. NPR’s James Mastromarino reports on why Nintendo fans are racing to buy the new one.

JAMES MASTROMARINO, BYLINE: Fans lined up for days in front of Nintendo’s flagship New York City store to be the first buyers for the new Switch 2. Last night, they amped each other up by singing to a Mario tune.

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Singing) Give me a Switch, get ready for this. Oh, let’s do the odyssey.

(CHEERING)

MASTROMARINO: NPR’s Alex Chung attended the midnight release at Nintendo New York, where he spoke to the influencer Jacey Adler.

JACEY ADLER: Yeah, I really love the new design of it. I like the features that you can play with friends, too, and the ability to not just have gaming be a solo experience.

MASTROMARINO: Adler acknowledged that at $450, the Switch 2 isn’t cheap, but she thinks Nintendo’s games justify the price tag.

ADLER: The games speak for themselves, and people put a lot of effort into the games, so it makes sense. I still buy them (laughter).

MASTROMARINO: Celebrities like Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang also attended the event and played the new headlining game “Mario Kart World.” He’s still excited for it after losing a race.

BOWEN YANG: That was the perfect amuse-bouche for what will surely be a thrilling time in the knockout rounds, so I can’t wait to experience that from the comfort of my home, with my friends or enemies.

MASTROMARINO: The Switch 2 is selling out at retailers across the country, even after tariffs prompted Nintendo to delay Switch 2 preorders and raise prices on some console accessories.

JOOST VAN DREUNEN: This is a company that’s over a century old, that lived through all the World Wars. They know how to accommodate this kind of turmoil.

MASTROMARINO: That’s Joost van Dreunen, professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. While he says Nintendo will eventually meet demand for the Switch 2, he thinks the company will need to do more to convince many gamers, like himself, to upgrade.

VAN DREUNEN: How do we communicate that this is a new device, that this is worth the 450? I’m happy to wait a little bit to get the Switch 2 because I’m already in that universe anyway, so I’ll get it when I’m ready for it.

MASTROMARINO: Nintendo projects to sell 15 million Switch 2 consoles by March of next year, but it remains to be seen whether the Switch 2 will come close to the 150 million units that the original Switch sold. James Mastromarino, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

 

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