Summary
The release of theNintendo Switch 2is still an undetermined amount of time away. All we know for sure is that it will be released before the end of 2025 and thatNintendowill reveal more about the console on April 2. That’s simply not enough for some people with leaked screenshots seemingly showing a black market deal between two parties in whicha Switch 2 unit is being sold for close to $40,000.
The screenshots have been shared on the Xiahongshu forums, the same placewhere the CAD model of the Switch 2 was shown offlong before its official reveal.Reddit user u/Icy-ConcentrationChas shared the interaction onthe r/NintendoSwitch2 subreddit(thanks,Wccftech). While a lot of the back and forth is blurred out, the seller claims to be offering upa Switch 2 console with Joy-Con and a dockto potential buyers.
The asking price for an alleged Switch 2 more than a month before Nintendo has even held its first Direct for it is 290,000 yuan, which works out to be a little less than $40,000. You might be wondering who on earth would be willing to pay that much for a Switch 2 considering the risk attached. Not only due to the nature of the black market, but also the risk they run of the Switch 2 being fake, or maybe not even existing at all.
They also won’t have anything to play other than regular Switch games until Nintendo starts releasing Switch 2 games.
Someone Seems To Be Trying To Sell A Switch 2 On The Black Market
$40,000 Makes $700 For A PS5 Pro Feel Like A Steal
However, the seller appears to be shopping their supposed Switch 2 unit out to companies creating accessories for Nintendo’s next console. It would make a little more sense for someone creating third-party controllers for the Switch 2 to want an actual console to test them on as it would give it a head start and a leg up over what will be some hefty competition closer to and post-launch.
Then again, the inherent risks that come with buying what someone is claiming to be a Switch 2 through the Chinese black market are still incredibly risky. Even if the console is real, there’s no telling where it came from and whether it can be traced back to you if Nintendo gets wind of a missing unit being sold on the black market. Nintendo might be best known for fun and colorful games that push the envelope, but it’s also pretty famous for its aggressive legal team that will hammer anyone trying to hinder their potential profits into the ground like a proverbial tent peg.
