Japanese scoring: the Nintendo Switch 2 console will receive support for the Russian language

The new-generation Switch 2 console from Nintendo will have support for the Russian language, sources told Izvestia. According to experts, this may indicate the desire of the Japanese company to fully resume operations in the Russian Federation. On April 2, a large-scale presentation of all the console's innovations took place. Russian retailers are already announcing pre-orders of new items at the beginning of the month. For more information, see the Izvestia article.

What to expect from Switch 2

Russian gamers will be able to play on the new Nintendo console in their native language. This is the first truly new device from one of the industry's market leaders in many years - the previous generation Switch was launched in March 2017. The Nintendo Switch 2 was announced on January 16, with a full presentation taking place in early April.

The company has unveiled a line of games that Switch 2 will receive for release in June 2025, the title game is Mario Kart World, the first new installment of Mario Kart in 10 years. The previous one is still on sale, with a total circulation exceeding 70 million copies. In addition, on April 3 and 4, Nintendo will host two more broadcasts from the Nintendo Treehouse: Live series, during which games for the Switch 2 console will be demonstrated. Both of them will be held at 17:00 Moscow time.

Nintendo also announced the launch of pre-orders at a price of $450 in the USA and €470 in Europe for the basic version, €510 for the extended bundle. Experts predicted that the number of devices available for pre—order would be limited and would sell out in a matter of minutes - whether this was true or not, it would become known on April 8, when the official launch of pre-orders would begin in the world.

During the presentation, The Duskbloods, a new FromSoftware game, a sequel to the Donkey Kong series subtitled Bananza, racing Mario Kart World and an expanded Cyberpunk 2077 port for the console were announced. According to analysts, this is the largest presentation from Nintendo in recent years.

Izvestia spoke with the key distributor of Nintendo consoles in Russia, Achivka. Its CEO, Yasha Haddazi, who also acts as the founder of the specialized association of R.A.D.I. Video Games, said that interest in the console is very high, because Nintendo, according to his calculations, has sold almost a million first-generation Switch consoles in Russia.

— Console sales in Russia would primarily be helped by games translated into Russian. I think it's fair to say that the hit Mario Kart World has a high chance of being translated into Russian, while the localization of Donkey Kong Bananza could be a pleasant surprise," suggested Yasha Haddazi.

According to the expert, Achivka will become the leading distributor of the console in Russia — it will release all models, all games and all accessories. The company will do everything possible to launch the console simultaneously with the worldwide release on June 5. At the same time, Haddaji noted, it is still necessary to assume that the Switch 2 will become widely available in stores only from the week following the launch: from June 9 to June 15.

Conditions for the return of Nintendo to Russia

Nintendo has not officially left Russia, but has switched its work to "minimal activity" mode, and has also limited the use of its digital marketplace, the Nintendo eShop, in our country. After the world presentation, Izvestia sent a request clarifying the company's plans to the Nintendo of Europe office, but at the time of writing there was no response.

Alexander Gorbachenko, head of the International Continental League, believes that Nintendo has a strong desire to enter the Russian market with a new product, where there is no competition.

— The official return along with the Nintendo Switch 2 is quite a reasonable step, merchants are still used to making money rather than serving politics. And we, as users, will get a high-quality product with good content. Everyone has already understood that it is necessary to comply with Russian laws, so in this sense, I think, the output will be prepared taking into account the content so that it meets Russian legislation. Such decisions should be welcomed, welcome back," Alexander Gorbachenko clarified.

According to Yaroslav Meshalkin, managing partner of the Heads'made digital communications agency, no sanctions have yet been lifted, so it will be difficult for foreign businesses to return, primarily from a financial and legal point of view, as well as due to possible risks. The presence of the Russian language is simply an unwillingness to miss out on profits from a significant Russian—speaking audience, both in Russia through "parallel import" and abroad, he believes.

— In general, this is standard practice. The Russian language is widespread, so in order not to lose an audience all over the world, they add its support, so there are no special features. This is not related to sanctions and other things," said Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group.

The Switch 2 will definitely be among the first to arrive in Russia, as many of us are waiting for its release, even those who did not own the first version of the console. Moreover, it will have Russian on board, since the volume of the Russian-speaking audience of the Nintendo Switch should not be underestimated, agreed Gleb Kadomtsev, director of marketing and partnerships at Game Art Pioneers.

— All this may indicate the return of Nintendo to the Russian Federation. But Samsung will officially return to us much earlier than the Japanese," says Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily.

The expert noted that South Korea is more attracted to the United States, so it is logical to want to come back against the background of the resumption of relations between Russia and the United States. The company has been actively cooperating with retailers for a year and a half and is advertised on various networks for its budget, trying to return to those leading positions that were before. In terms of logistics and other processes, the return of Koreans is the most promising, Denis Kuskov explained.

Daniil Arzhakov, a lecturer at the Department of Esports at the Faculty of Gaming Industry and Esports at Synergy University, recalled that supporting the Russian language is just one of many factors and the final decision will depend on the economic and political situation, as well as on the company's willingness to overcome possible barriers.

According to Avito, Nintendo is one of the most popular console brands in Russia. So, in 2024, they accounted for 9% of sales, and over the year they increased by 49%. On average, devices of this brand cost 17 thousand rubles, and new ones were sold for 23 thousand rubles, the press service reported.

According to Sergey Mezin, head of the Game Development and Gaming Community at M.Video-Eldorado, about 500,000 Nintendo Switch consoles were sold in Russia from 2017 to 2024. This makes it the company's best-selling console in the history of its presence on the Russian market. He added that the steady growth in demand for the Nintendo range indicates the high loyalty of the Russian audience to the Nintendo franchises, despite the difficult economic conditions of recent years. The press service promised to open the pre-order after April 8 at the same time as the rest of the world.

— The Nintendo Switch 2 will be released on Ozon this summer. We expect a record level of demand for the console — Nintendo has introduced a wide range of games that gamers around the world are waiting for. This year, the category of game consoles on Ozon has grown 1.5 times, and with the introduction of new products from Nintendo, we expect growth to accelerate in the second half of the year," the press service said.

One of the local Runet marketplaces has already opened a pre-order for the new product. The basic version is 55 thousand rubles, the version with the future bestseller Mario Kart World is 60 thousand rubles.