Amazon's Switch 2 Launch Ends Cold War With Nintendo—Exclusive Invites Mark Return To Gaming Frontlines
Nintendo has launched the Switch 2 on Amazon, ending a year-long retail dispute with the company. The console is priced at $450 for the base model and $500 for the Mario Kart bundle. This move comes amid supply shortages and strong demand, with analysts projecting sales of 18 to 20 million units in the fiscal year. The Switch 2 features enhanced AI processing and backward compatibility, positioning it against competitors like Microsoft's upcoming handheld.
Nintendo Co. Ltd. NTDOY has launched Switch 2 on Amazon.com Inc. through an invite-only system, marking the end of a year-long retail dispute between the companies.
What Happened: Amazon’s Switch 2 listing went live on Tuesday at standard retail pricing of $450 for the base console and $500 for the Mario Kart World bundle, according to social media reports from gaming industry tracker Wario64.
The invite-only purchasing system represents a significant development for U.S. retail distribution, as Amazon was notably absent from the April 24 pre-order launch that included Target Corp., Best Buy Co. Inc., and Walmart Inc.
Bloomberg previously reported that third-party sellers undercutting Nintendo’s pricing may have contributed to the Amazon distribution dispute.
The conflict affected first-party Nintendo software and accessories availability on the platform for approximately one year, though international Amazon markets maintained normal Nintendo product distribution throughout the period.
Why It Matters: The retail availability comes amid ongoing supply shortages that have driven strong demand fundamentals for Nintendo’s latest gaming hardware.
Toyo Securities senior analyst Hideki Yasuda noted the Switch 2 is “overwhelmingly popular compared to past game consoles,” with industry analysts projecting fiscal year sales of 18 million to 20 million units, representing a 20% to 30% increase from the original Switch’s initial performance.
The console features enhanced AI processing capabilities and maintains backward compatibility with original Switch software, positioning it competitively against Microsoft Corp.‘s MSFT upcoming ROG Xbox Ally handheld scheduled for holiday 2025 release.
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