Nintendo Switch 2 will not be released in the Chinese mainland market

Nintendo will not release its new game console “Nintendo Switch 2” in mainland China for the time being. In 2019, Nintendo released the current product “Nintendo Switch” in China, but due to government restrictions, there were fewer playable games and sales have not increased. Nintendo is believed to have adopted a wait-and-see approach to market demand.

Nintendo will release Switch 2 in Japan and Europe on June 5, but not in mainland China. In China, Tencent Holdings has been responsible for selling the current Switch and game software. When asked whether Tencent is in talks with Nintendo about the sale of Switch 2, Tencent did not answer.
Tencent announced in November 2024 that it would stop online sales of current Switch game software and other network-related services in 2026. Related businesses have been given lower priority.

The reason behind this is China’s unique regulatory and market structure. The sale of game consoles and game software requires review by relevant departments and is restricted by the intentions of relevant departments. Moreover, mobile games have taken root in China.

According to Chinese research company Gamma Data, the size of China’s game market will reach about 325.8 billion yuan in 2024, ranking among the top in the world, but there are obvious signs of market saturation. The Chinese government encourages domestic games to go overseas. If the Switch 2 is launched, it will lead to further intensified competition in China.

Wang Xu, chief analyst of Gamma Data, pointed out that it is still very difficult to succeed in China for the Switch 2. It is necessary to improve the experience value of consumers while complying with policies. Whether it can introduce large-scale international game software is also a problem.

However, there are also many Chinese consumers who are very interested in the Switch 2. Some e-commerce websites and physical stores are accepting reservations for the Hong Kong version of the Switch 2. The current Switch was launched in China more than two years after it was launched in Japan. The Switch 2 may still be launched in the Chinese market in the future.