Nintendo Fans Get Early Access to Switch 2 With Speedrunner Beating Zelda Demo in 7 Minutes — Price Jitters Persist

• The overwhelming demand for Nintendo’s upcoming Switch 2 was on full display at a Tokyo demo event over the weekend.
• Manufacturing pressures from U.S. tariffs may impact future pricing, although Nintendo has so far maintained the Switch 2’s launch price at $449.99.
• At the demo event, a Japanese speedrunner completed Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 in seven minutes.

Excited Nintendo fans had the opportunity to try out the upcoming Switch 2 at a demo event in Tokyo this weekend, underscoring the console’s rapidly growing popularity amid ongoing concerns about pricing and supply chain issues.

In classic gamer fashion, a speedrunner bypassed the system’s 10-minute gameplay limit, completing the iconic Zelda: Breath of the Wild demo in just seven minutes, potentially marking the first public speedrun ever performed on a Switch 2.

Switch 2 Early Access

The Tokyo event saw gamers gather at the Makuhari Messe convention center near Tokyo to experience the new console and sample some of its upcoming titles, Video Games Chronicle reported .

Two of the most highly anticipated releases, Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bonanza, were available for demo play.

The event’s popularity highlights the intense demand for the console within the Japanese domestic market.

Over 2.2 million applications were submitted for the lottery sale of Switch 2 pre-orders in Japan.

Last week, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa stated that the number of applications “far exceeds our expectations, and far exceeds the number of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles that can be delivered from the My Nintendo Store on June 5.”

Furukawa warned that a “significant number of customers” would likely not secure a console on release day.

U.S. Delays and Price Concerns

Supply pressures are mounting due to tariffs imposed during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, complicating what is expected to be one of the biggest console launches ever.

On April 9, Trump paused most of the sweeping tariffs he had placed on numerous countries but raised import tariffs on Chinese goods to 145%, affecting manufacturing, where most Switch 2 consoles are produced.

Fortunately for gamers, Nintendo invested in a manufacturing hub in Vietnam in 2019 as a precaution following Trump’s initial tariff rounds during his first term.

For now, Nintendo has not announced any price increases for the Switch 2, though its initial launch price caused some backlash among gamers.

The console is set to launch at $449.99 — a $150 increase over its predecessor.

However, the company has confirmed price hikes for several accessories in the U.S.

The Switch 2 Pro Controller ($84.99) and Joy-Con 2 controllers ($94.99) have both seen $5 price increases.

In a statement, Nintendo said that further price adjustments are “possible in the future depending on market conditions.”

“If the tariffs are really going to hit them, they probably still need to raise the price for the Switch 2,” Serkan Toto, founder of the Kantan Games consultancy, told Reuters.

Zelda Speedrun

At the Tokyo event, Japanese content creator Ikaboze demonstrated his speedrunning skills by completing Zelda: Breath of the Wild in just seven minutes.

The demo offered players a choice of various save files and capped gameplay at a maximum of ten minutes, VGC reported.

Ikaboze selected a save file beginning just before the final battle with Ganon. After unequipping all of Link’s gear, he utilized advanced speedrunning techniques to roll the game’s credits within seven minutes.

The video of the speedrun has amassed over 200,000 views at the time of reporting, with viewers praising the upgraded graphics of the 2017 title on the new hardware.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for Switch 2 will be available for $10 to users who previously owned the game on the original Switch.