How long will you need to work to afford Nintendo Switch 2? It’s not the same for everyone

In Switzerland, you only need 13 working hours to be able to afford Nintendo’s latest gaming console.

The Japanese gaming company has announced that Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on June 5th with a retail price starting at €469 ($529).

Before the official announcement, people were already speculating about the latest gaming device's graphics, storage, and pricing.

The latter became especially significant after US President Donald Trump’s tariff announcement, making Nintendo users keen on purchasing its latest console as soon as possible.

However, the pre-order didn’t go without hiccups, with the initial pre-order date on April 8th being pushed to April 24th.

TradingPedia, reporting on financial news, conducted research that showed the affordability trends of the latest Nintendo gaming console as well as the amount of hours people around the world would have to spend working to be able to afford the device.

In the US, Nintendo’s largest market, the device will be priced at $450.

The investigation presents a list of countries where the latest Nintendo would be the most affordable. The list was compiled considering the country’s average monthly salary and a 40-hour work week to make a comparison.

Who pays the most?

Among the top 10 countries paying the most for the Nintendo Switch 2 is Sweden ($704.59). The country’s average monthly net salary is a little around $3,178.32, so to be able to buy the gaming device, a gamer in Sweden should save 22% of their monthly payment or work 38 hours.

The list of countries that pay the most for the gaming console includes Iceland, South Africa, and Serbia. Then follow the Nordic countries with similar pricing for the device ($645.92, $643.40, and $637.45).

Such pricing in Sweden and Iceland could be explained by the countries' high cost of living, which reveals how local economics shape the pricing of consumer goods.

Among countries with the highest pricing for the Switch 2 is South Africa ($684.43) and Serbia ($676.93). In comparison with Sweden and Iceland, both of these countries have significantly lower monthly net salaries. A gamer in South Africa earning $1,258.13 would have to spend 94 hours working to afford the device, while a Serbian worker with an average monthly income of $884.53 would have to spend 132 hours to purchase the console.

These countries illustrate that high prices may also come from factors such as a drop in currency value and high import tariffs.

Where to find the cheapest deal?

The cheapest deal for Nintendo Switch 2 could be found in Japan ($347.42). However, users should keep in mind that the device bought in Japan will only support the Japanese language and can’t be used outside of the country, reports TradingPedia.

Japan is followed by Singapore ($387.78) and the US ($449.51).

Singapore is also a place where people have to work only 17 hours to afford the device due to its strong economy. Switzerland, however, takes first place as it only requires 13 hours of work to afford the gaming console.

The calculations were made by taking into account a standard 9 to 5 working model where a worker spends 40 hours a week and the average monthly net salary of the countries in the research list (44 countries where “local pre-order prices were sourced from licensed country-specific retailers who sell the Nintendo Switch 2.”)

Among countries that sell the console for the most affordable price and require the least amount of working hours are the US, Australia, and the Netherlands.

However, the Philippines, North Macedonia, Albania, and Serbia are among the countries that demand the most working hours for a person to be able to afford Switch 2. It takes 194 working hours in the Philippines, 142 hours in Macedonia, and 132 hours in Albania and Serbia.

It’s been reported that the company already expects the sales of its latest gaming console to reach 15 million copies in the first fiscal year, which will end in March 2026.