Nintendo has quietly introduced somewhat underwhelming information, particularly for expatriates living in Japan: they will need to pay an extra 20,000 yen, which equals approximately $133 in US currency, if they want a Switch 2 console that supports their native language.
As noted by Gabe Perez on Twitter, the official Japanese Nintendo website provides details about the two different Switch 2 consoles that will be available in Japan at the time of launch on June 5. One model is designed exclusively for Japanese speakers, priced at ¥49,980, which is roughly equivalent to $337, particularly given the current strength of the US dollar in Japan. The other version offers “multilingual support” for 16 languages, including Japanese, and is priced at ¥69,980, around $473 at the moment.
To provide some perspective, the existing Switch is region-free globally, and the Switch 2 will likely also be region-free everywhere except for Japan, where the more affordable version applies.
While the reason for this price difference is not entirely clear, it may be largely influenced by Japan’s comparatively weaker yen at present. This could also be an attempt to deter scalpers who might buy consoles at lower prices in Japan and then attempt to sell them for a profit elsewhere.
The good news is that this adjustment makes the Switch 2 a more sensible purchase for Japanese-speaking customers in Japan who do not want the additional language options. That being said,