Nintendo last week announced the Nintendo Switch 2 will launch on June 5, however, a new report states the console will not launch in mainland China on day one.

Nikkei (via VideoGamesChronicle) reports Nintendo is looking to see what demand there is for the Switch 2 before it decides to release it in China. The country has strict regulations on video games.

The Switch 1 in China in is sold in collaboration with Chinese tech company Tencent. Nikkei says Tencent declined to comment if it would distribute the Switch 2 in China.

Gamma Data chief analyst Wang Xu told Nikkei, “The hurdles to success in China remain high. They need to improve the consumer experience while complying with government policies, and there is also the issue of whether they will be able to introduce major international software.”

Director of Research & Insights at Niko Partners Daniel Ahmad says the Switch 2 would not have launched day one in China as it needs to be approved by the Chinese government.

“Switch 2 wouldn’t have launched in China on day 1 regardless, given the approvals needed,” said Ahmad. “China will turn to the grey market to import consoles from overseas in June (Except from Japan maybe lol). Nintendo will explore options for an official launch in China.”

A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Bluesky.

Full Article – https://www.vgchartz.com/article/464415/report-nintendo-switch-2-is-not-launching-in-china-on-june-5/