The Nintendo Switch 2 unveiling may have been largely positive, but there are a few things that didn’t sit very well with some fans, such as the pricing of the hardware and some of the software. It doesn’t help that the console pre-orders, scheduled to go live later today in most of the world, have been delayed in the United States and Canada due to the US tariffs issue, making North American customers even more anxious about a further price increase.
Now, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has shared a tone-deaf statement that has riled up fans even more. As reported by CBC Canada, he essentially told them to go buy the original Switch if they can’t afford the new one.
As we look at Nintendo Switch 2 and you think about the feature sets that I talked about … we believe that the pricing is appropriate for the value of the machine and the gameplay experience overall. We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford the Nintendo Switch 2 price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so people still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.
Those with a long enough memory have instantly remembered Don Mattrick’s similar statement. When the Xbox One was facing criticism because of the console’s initial mandatory online connectivity, he famously said:
We have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity; it’s called Xbox 360.
The terrible Xbox One marketing essentially doomed Microsoft’s third console from the get-go in its fight against Sony’s PlayStation 4. The Nintendo Switch 2 likely won’t suffer the same fate, with analysts believing it will still become the fastest-selling console ever and even turn into more of a primary platform for core gamers. Still, this reveal could have gone a bit more smoothly.
