Popverse's top stories

• DC Comics cancels Red Hood comic book series
• Simon Kinberg on writing X-Men movies, producing Glenn Powell's The Running Man remake, and co-creating Star Wars Rebels [Popversations]
• Better angels and online demons: A trip down the rabbit hole of Downton Abbey fandom

The biggest news out of the world of gaming this week was, hands down, the announcement of the Switch 2's release date. It was a high point for long-expectant fans, and might have signaled something to look forward to heading into the weekend, even if the price point, announced on the same day, was pretty high. Unfortunately, there may be a bunch of banana peels crowding that Rainbow Road, as it looks very likely that the Nintendo Switch 2 will go up in price.

As reported by The Verge, the price increase comes from the recently announced foreign tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration. As it turns out, several of the countries the Trump Administration has put the heaviest tariffs on are also the countries that Nintendo relies on to produce their consoles. Here are those countries, in no particular order, along with how much of a tariff the Trump Administration has announced will be placed on them:

• China - 34%
• Vietnam - 46%
• Cambodia - 49%

We should clarify: these percentages measure the increase of already existing tariffs imposed on each of these countries.

So what does that mean for gamers? Well, we here at Popverse don't have the math skills or economic knowhow to predict how much more you'll have to pay for the new console, but fortunately, The Verge does. Starting with the already-announced price of $499.99 for just the Switch 2 itself, The Verge increased prices by an average of 40%, putting the new cost at $630. They also include that the cost of Mario Kart World, maybe the biggest game to be announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct event, would jump to $110 in this case, from its original price of $79.99.

Keep in mind - the above is an estimate based on averages. More products coming out of China would mean lower prices than what's above; more coming out of Cambodia would mean higher. But in either case, the cost originally announced at Nintendo Direct is expected to go up.

Of course, it is still in the early days of the Trump Trade War, and by the time the Nintendo Switch 2 actually comes out this June, the situation might be different. However, with even the possibility of a price hike like this on the horizon, it might not be a bad idea for gamers to start treating their paychecks like a Mario Kart powerup - that is, save it until the finish line is in sight.

The Nintendo Switch 2 (and Mario Kart World) drops June 5, 2025.

The gaming industry has come a long way since Pong blew all our minds in the 70s. We've got everything you need to know about the next big thing in games. Of course, Grand Theft Auto VI is going to be the big game of 2026, but there are plenty of other games coming out between now and then. Here is our starter guide for every gamer:

• All upcoming games in 2025 and beyond
• Gamify My Life, our weekly gaming column designed
• Popverse Picks: The best Assassin's Creed protagonists
• How to play every GTA game in order
• Why the GTA 6 budget isn't as crazy as you think
• The Magic: The Gathering x Spider-Man crossover set wouldn't exist without the Spider-Verse

And be sure to check Popverse regularly for the latest gaming news.