OPINION: Nintendo is making a mistake with its controversial Switch 2 pricing strategy and it is going to alienate gamers and hack away at years of good will.
It’s been less than a week and the Nintendo Switch 2 is starting to leave a bad taste in the mouth, and it has nothing to do with the cartridges that are designed to offend the taste buds so kids spit them out!
There’s a reason why Nintendo didn’t reveal the asking price for the Switch 2 when detailing the pre-order information for console due in June. The company knew it’d sour what had been a joyful presentation showing what was in store for gamers. We got to hear the price shortly after the event and it popped the balloon a little bit.
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The console itself is historically expensive for a Nintendo machine, as we discussed last week, even accounting for inflation. Even before the threat of needless Trump Tariffs raising the cost of the console even higher in the United States.
Then we got the news the standalone version of Mario Kart World would be $79.99.
That’s a $10 premium on what the best PS5 and Xbox Series X and best Switch games from the original console cost out of the gate. It’s also $20 more expensive than all but a few original Switch games, like Tears of the Kingdom.
With the way Nintendo ensures first-party games hold their value and never get that much of a discount, I’d say you might never see this game for less than $64.99.
Even today Nintendo is charging $59.99 – aka full whack – for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the original Switch. That game launched with the original Switch as an enhanced version of the Wii U game.
The news Nintendo plans to charge $9.99 for an exploratory experience like the Switch 2 Welcome Tour was an absolute joke. It’s a tutorial for the console, not a game!
The experience looks similar to Astros Playroom for the PS5, which showed gamers around the new console and enhanced DualSense controllers. Naturally, Sony bundled this in with the console because it wanted gamers to have an easy way to understand the new features.
Not Nintendo though. Not with the console gamers have paid up to £449.99/$499.99 for. Many users wouldn’t bother with this if it was free, so why are they charging for it?
Harder to root for?
It’s a shame it’s breaking down like this because Nintendo is one of the easiest tech companies in the world to root for.
They treat their employees well (I recall Nintendo raising wages for everyone by 10% even though profits were down a few years back), the experiences are focused on fun and are accessible for the vast majority of people wanting to enjoy playing video games.
But this aggressive pricing strategy is going to preclude the amount of enjoyment people can get from this new console. I know it’s a business and it’s never been more expensive to make video games, but this tactic is exclusionary and unnecessary.
Last week I argued the Switch 2 was a “buy at some point” console than an instant upgrade. With the console and games priced this way, my view has been affirmed.
