Nintendo and Tencent confirm Switch launch plans for China

Nintendo and Tencent have announced new details about Nintendo Switch’s upcoming Chinese launch.

While it’s still unclear when the console will be released in the country, the companies said during a press conference that they’re working together to localise Switch games for the Chinese market.

In a joint post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, it was also confirmed that Tencent will assist Nintendo in setting up a localised network service through Tencent Cloud.

The Chinese Nintendo eShop will support Tencent’s WeChat payment service, “lowering the threshold for purchase and reducing cross-border procedures”, according to a Google translation.

“In addition, Tencent is also planning to assist Nintendo in setting up offline purchase channels and player exchange centers.”

Switch was approved for sale in China in April, two years after its release in the West.

It’s expected to be sold alongside a free “test version” of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.

Nintendo has previously released the N64 and Nintendo 3DS XL in China under iQue branding.

However, traditional consoles including those from Xbox and PlayStation have struggled to catch on in the region, with PC and mobile dominant.

Earlier this month, Nintendo said it’s to move some Switch console production out of China amid the nation’s ongoing trade war with the US.

A spokesperson said Nintendo plans to make the partial production shift to Vietnam this summer in a bid to diversify manufacturing sites.

On Thursday, it was reported that the United States is to extend tariffs on Chinese imports to include video game and consumer electronic goods.

The new 10% tariff will take effect on September 1 and cover $300 billion in Chinese goods, including $5.4 billion in video game consoles.