Nintendo has announced a temporary restriction on sales of the multilingual version of the Nintendo Switch 2 console in Japan. The reason cited was suspicions of mass purchases of devices by scalpers for subsequent resale at inflated prices.
Currently, two versions of the Switch 2 are available in Japan. The first is a regional model, intended exclusively for the Japanese market, with support only for the Japanese language and regional locking. The second is an international multilingual version, similar to what is sold in other countries.
As Nintendo stated in an official announcement, the company identified numerous orders that may be linked to speculative reselling of consoles. Consequently, sales of the multilingual version of the Switch 2 through the Nintendo Store have been temporarily suspended.
Going forward, only users who meet a set of requirements will be able to purchase the multilingual Switch 2. These restrictions were already applied during the initial pre-orders for the console. Buyers must have at least 50 hours of playtime on the original Nintendo Switch as of May 31, 2026. Only time spent in paid games is counted – demos and free projects are not included.
Additionally, only one Switch 2 console is allowed per account.
Nintendo hopes to make the device more accessible to regular players and reduce the number of consoles entering the secondary market through scalpers. For the foreseeable future, the Japanese regional version of the Switch 2 will remain the primary option available for purchase in the country.