Nintendo Officially Enters Indonesia, Set to Boost Local Game Ecosystem

Japanese console giant Nintendo has finally officially arrived in Indonesia. CNBC Indonesia observed on Thursday (13/8/2026) that the official Nintendo Indonesia website is now live.

Not much information has been disclosed on the site. “Introducing ourselves, we are Nintendo,” reads the main page. It also states that Nintendo Indonesia will bring the Switch and Switch 2 consoles starting December 2026, though no exact date has been revealed.

For context, Nintendo, which is quite popular in Indonesia, has not been officially available until now. Its consoles are sold in some game shops, but there has been no official distributor or authorised representative in the country.

The arrival of Nintendo Indonesia marks the Japanese giant’s expansion into Southeast Asia’s largest economy. However, Nintendo has not yet explained in detail the extent of its presence in Indonesia.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing else we can share other than the plan to launch Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 in Indonesia in December,” Nintendo told Reuters.

A Salim Group subsidiary will become the official distributor of Nintendo consoles in Indonesia. In a post on her personal Instagram account, Deputy Minister for Creative Economy Irene Umar welcomed the arrival of Nintendo Indonesia.

“Coinciding with Indonesian Game Day, after some time of preparation, we will now welcome the presence of the Nintendo ecosystem in Indonesia, opening up various potential collaboration opportunities with the Indonesian creative industry,” Irene wrote.

Furthermore, Irene said Nintendo’s presence in Indonesia is a concrete step towards building a healthier gaming ecosystem.

“First, we bring in original products as part of our efforts to combat copyright issues and strengthen the culture of appreciating creative work,” Irene wrote.

“I also continue to remind that prices in Indonesia must maintain parity with international markets, so that Indonesian gamers do not end up paying higher prices,” she continued.

In addition, the presence of Nintendo Indonesia is also seen as paving a wider path for local game developers. Her office is pushing for Nintendo game development kits to also be available in Indonesia, so that many local talents can create works for global platforms.

“So, for me, the meaning of Nintendo’s presence in Indonesia is not just about playing games, but about pushing the growth of our gaming ecosystem together to the next level,” she concluded.