How tariffs will change what gadgets cost, and how they’re made

First things first, some exciting news: The Vergecast has been nominated for a Webby Award! This one means a lot to us, especially because it’s an award you get to vote on. We’d be so grateful if you’d go vote for us once, or 40 times, or however many times the site will allow. (Also, honestly, you should listen to some of the other nominees; all four are great shows. Just don’t vote for them.)

First, we talk Switch. Nintendo’s Direct announcement this week brought a lot of new information about the company’s new console, and a peek at some of its most anticipated games. Nilay, David, and The Verge’s Richard Lawler dig into what we know, what we still don’t, and whether this is shaping up to be a worthy successor to one of the most successful consoles ever. We also talk about the latest on the TikTok ban, and the best gadgets Microsoft ever made.

After that, we talk tariffs. (Which might make the Switch a lot more expensive than it already is.) The hosts run down the news of the week, most of which makes no sense whatsoever, and then enlist Tuneshine creator Tobias Butler to explain how tariffs change the way companies do business. Butler explains why Alibaba is such an important platform for hardware companies, how even small price changes can have large knock-on effects, and whether his delightful music gadget will have to change to fit the new system.

If you want to know more about everything we discuss in this episode, here are some links to get you started, first on the Switch 2 and other tech news:

And in the lightning round: