Nintendo officially revealed the Switch 2 today, and the new handheld is already getting mixed reactions online.
Let’s get to the elephant in the room. It will cost $449 (CAD 629) for the base system and $499 ($699) for the Mario Kart World bundle. That officially puts it at the same price as the all-digital Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 systems. Oddly enough, Nintendo has decided to pull a Sony, with prices being much lower in its native Japan than it is here in North America. Just 49,980 yen ($333.87 US). This system is being region locked to the Japanese language only. Trump’s tariffs are being blamed by X users for the huge price gap, but that doesn’t explain why there’s such a big difference compared to other regions.
The price of the hardware is certainly unprecedented for Nintendo, though it is in line with Valve’s Steam Deck. However, it’s the cost of the games that has gotten gamers’ eyes watering.
New Switch 2 releases will retail for $80 for the digital version, and an absolutely butt puckering $90. While prices haven’t been officially announced here in Canada, that translates to $115 to $130 a pop at current rates, plus taxes. This officially makes them the most expensive games available on any platform. At least when it comes to base prices.
Gamers are now concerned that these prices will set a precedent in the industry.
Pricing in general seems to be all over the place, with many new games still retailing at $60 or $70. Some older Switch games will also require paid upgrades for Switch 2 enhancements, much like was done on the PS5. Though again, there’s a lot of inconsistency here.
Gamers took to social media to express bewilderment at the announcement. Xenoblade content creator Savajin noted that “never prayed for the downfall of a system more than seeing this,” while posting a picture of the inconsistent game pre-order prices.
OG video game podcaster Stuttering Craig noted that it’s going to be a tough value proposition for parents.
Oh well, at least Arlo was happy. Others took a more neutral approach. People seem to like the hardware and the games on offer, but that price has certainly rubbed sand in people’s eyes.
My thoughts are that the Switch 2 will sell, and will probably sell out at launch. However, the question is whether it will end up doing 3DS numbers or Switch 1 numbers in the long term. Honestly, I don’t think anyone expects the latter. I also bring up the 3DS in particular because its launch was largely a disaster, owing to a limited library of new content as well as its huge price hike over its predecessor. The situation was so bad that Nintendo cut the price just months later and gave out a collection of free games to early adopters.
I also agree with Craig’s assessment that this is going to be a tough sell for parents in particular. Everyone knows about inflation. Everything has gotten considerably more expensive. It’s impossible to ignore. That’s a big part of the problem here. As outlined in my reaction to the original Switch unveiling post, many moms and dads I know think the games were already too expensive back in 2017. Hiking the price by $20-$30 at a time when a lot of people are struggling financially is a questionable move. Especially when Nintendo always had the perception of being the budget-friendly system for families. Of course, as gamers have shown us time and again, they will gladly spend absurd amounts on microtransactions and gacha mechanics, so why not hose them for everything they’re worth?
The Switch 2 will go on sale June 5th, 2025.
