Ben Brosofsky is a gaming writer for Screen Rant and covers features, lists, news, and reviews for video games and tabletop.
The established pricing for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been subject to plenty of controversy and confusion, but although it may not be to everyone's taste, Nintendo has finally provided some clear answers.
After attaching a considerable price tag to the console and some first-party games, Nintendo announced a delay on pre-orders in North America in light of the ongoing and fluctuating threats of significant tariffs. While it seemed unlikely that the price could remain competitive with any significant increase, this did raise fears that things could take a turn for the worse. At the end of two weeks of relative silence, Nintendo confirmed a new pre-order date of April 24 along with an updated slate of prices. Core releases like the console itself and first-party games haven't received any adjustments, but minor bumps have increased the tags on many accessories for the system. The announcement also settled some debate over physical prices for first-party games, which had previously lacked clarification in the United States. Nintendo Switch 2 Console Prices Two Unchanged Options Close As confirmed by Nintendo, the price of the Switch 2 itself has remained unchanged since its initial reveal at $449.99. The same goes for the Mario Kart World console bundle, which raises the price to $499.99. While the basic console should be widely available for years to come, the Mario Kart World bundle will only be available until this autumn. Although the pre-order delay was the result of new tariff announcements, it seems likely that the Switch 2's $449.99 price was already taking the threatened tariffs into account, so there's a possibility that the system was once planned to release at $399.99. The Japanese-language-only model is significantly cheaper, with a ¥49,980 price that converts to roughly $350 . Related Former Nintendo Of America President Seemingly Digs At A Switch 2 Launch Game Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé might be subtly jabbing at a controversially priced Nintendo Switch 2 launch game over on X. Posts Considering the tariffs and the price of powerful mobile hardware, it's unlikely that Nintendo is making any relevant profit on the hardware sales. Nonetheless, it isn't an easy pill to swallow, and the original Switch had a more attractive price point even when accounting for inflation. Nintendo Switch 2 Accessory Prices Price Bumps Across The Board All the new price increases apply to Nintendo Switch 2 accessories. While none of these are necessary to use the console, many could be essential for taking it on the go or playing with a friend or family member. The majority of items have received $5 price bumps, although the cheapest and most expensive items have, respectively, the smallest and largest changes. The Switch 2 features backward compatibility with original Switch Joy-Cons, so despite some missing features, anyone with an original Switch can continue to use classic Joy-Cons for a second player. A modest increase in size, however, means that it won't fit in original Switch carrying cases unless they had a good deal of wiggle room. Nintendo Switch 2 Game Prices The Same Across Digital & Physical While third-party game prices will be determined by individual manufacturers, Nintendo also clarified that the prices of Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will remain the same. Although they aren't mentioned, prices for upgraded Switch 2 editions of original Switch games should presumably also be unchanged. For major titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, upgrades will cost $10 standalone, raising the prices of Switch 2 edition copies by the same amount. Kirby and the Forgotten Land received a more significant $20 bump thanks to the addition of a new expansion. Notably, Nintendo's announcement describes this as"pricing for both physical and digital versions," settling some debate over whether the established MSRPs applied to physical copies. No one will likely be excited about paying $79.99 for Mario Kart World, but it's certainly better than paying $89.99 for a physical copy like some had feared. On the opposite end of the equation, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster will hopefully still be available for the announced $39.99 MSRP, which matches its original 3DS price. Related Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct: Every Major Announcement & Reveal Mario Kart World is the Nintendo Switch 2’s big launch exclusive, and a dedicated Nintendo Direct had a wealth of information about the game. Posts As with all systems, discounts will likely become available over time to get many of these products for reduced prices. Considering the current instability surrounding major economic decisions, however, it's difficult to guarantee, and the system itself will presumably be maintaining its price point for the foreseeable future. The Nintendo Switch 2 isn't an investment to take lightly, but it's at least helpful to have some clarity regarding just how expensive that investment will be.
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