Perhaps the most shocking announcement to come from Nintendo today is that Switch 2 games will cost up to $80. Throughout the life cycle of the original Switch, Nintendo sold pretty much all of its first-party games for only $60. The only time this changed was with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which Nintendo instead opted to sell for $70. Now, with the Switch 2 set to release in just a few short months, Nintendo is looking to slingshot past the $70 price threshold and will become the first major publisher to sell its games at a value of $80.
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News of this $80 price point for Switch 2 games can be found directly on Nintendo’s website where it lists the amount next to Mario Kart World. Nintendo added many asterisks to this price, adding that it’s merely its own suggested retail price and that the “actual price may vary.” Still, this is a pretty standard caveat and won’t result in every major retailer selling Mario Kart World at a cost different than this.
What’s curious is that $80 doesn’t seem to be the standard price that Nintendo will be going with for all of its games. Elsewhere on the site, Donkey Kong Bananza is listed at an MSRP of $70. As a result, it looks like Nintendo will price its games on a case-by-case basis with unknown factors going into what determines the final value that it lands on. Given that Mario Kart World is going to be one of the biggest Switch 2 games out of the gate, Nintendo likely feels that it can charge a bit more for the title and still see plenty of sales.
The saving grace for those looking to pick up Mario Kart World in tandem with the Nintendo Switch 2 is that a dedicated bundle will be sold upon the console’s launch on June 5th. Retailing for $500, this package will come with both the Switch 2 and a digital copy of Mario Kart World, which is roughly $30 in savings compared to if these two items were purchased individually. Even with this in mind, though, many Nintendo fans are likely going to be frustrated to see the company now selling its games for $80 moving forward.
How do you feel about Nintendo charging $80 for Mario Kart World on Switch 2? And is this price potentially causing you to rethink if you want to pick up the Switch 2 as a whole? Be sure to let me know your own thoughts down in the comments section!
