Nintendo finally unveiled the long-awaited details for the Switch 2, and there are some big changes: new Joy-Con, new games, and new features.
With those big changes, however, there's also a big price hike.
I was already worried Nintendo would price the Switch 2 too high, and unfortunately, the official price is even higher than I feared it would be.
In fact, the Switch 2 is the most expensive Nintendo console since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) when adjusted for inflation.
Nintendo showed off some exciting announcements in Wednesday's Switch 2 livestream, but it's hard to be excited, knowing many Nintendo fans may find it challenging to afford the new console.
Here's a look at just how pricey the Switch 2 is compared to previous Nintendo consoles and what fans have to say about it.
Switch 2 is the most expensive Nintendo console since the SNES
The Switch 2 is less than $100 shy of being the most expensive console Nintendo has ever released when adjusted for inflation.
After Wednesday's Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo officially announced that the Switch 2 will start at $449 and launch on June 5, 2025. There's also a configuration for $499 that includes the new Mario Kart World game.
That's a shockingly high price for a Nintendo console. The original Switch was just $299, so this is an increase of $150 generation-to-generation.
In fact, the Switch 2 is the third most expensive console Nintendo has ever released when adjusted for inflation. The original NES holds the record, but not by much. When it launched in 1985, the NES cost $179, which would be $530 today.
The SNES just barely takes second place with a price of $459 when adjusted for inflation. That's only $10 more than the Switch 2.
The Switch 2 is also tied for the highest generation-to-generation sticker price increase in Nintendo's history. Its sticker price ("original price" in the chart below) is 50% higher than the original Switch, the highest price bump we've seen from Nintendo since the jump from the Game Boy Advance to the DS.
Of course, it's important to remember that the jump from the GBA to the DS wasn't just a new version of the same console, it was an entirely new console. So, the 50% price increase is arguably more justified compared to the Switch 2, which is more of a refresh on the original Switch.
Nintendo handheld consoles price history
Console | Original price | Price adjusted for inflation | Original price increase | Adjusted price increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Game Boy | 89 | 228 | Row 0 - Cell 3 | Row 0 - Cell 4 |
Game Boy Color | 79 | 150 | -11.2% | -34% |
Game Boy Advance | 99 | 180 | +25.3% | +20% |
DS | 149 | 249 | +50% | +38% |
DS Lite | 129 | 204 | -13% | -18% |
DSi | 169 | 250 | +31% | +22% |
3DS | 249 | 340 | +47% | +36% |
Switch | 299 | 389 | +20% | +14% |
Switch 2 | 449 | Row 8 - Cell 2 | +50% | +15% |
Nintendo home consoles price history
Console | Original price | Price adjusted for inflation | Original price increase | Adjusted price increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
NES | 179 | 530 | Row 0 - Cell 3 | Row 0 - Cell 4 |
SNES | 199 | 459 | +11% | -11% |
Nintendo 64 | 199 | 350 | 0 | -23% |
Game Cube | 199 | 350 | 0 | 0 |
Wii | 249 | 394 | +25% | +12% |
Wii U | 299 | 415 | +20% | +5% |
Switch | 299 | 389 | 0 | -6% |
Switch 2 | 449 | Row 7 - Cell 2 | +50% | +15% |
Is the Switch 2 priced too high? What Nintendo fans are saying
"Hype and stuff but what are those prices?!"
That reaction from one Bluesky user sums up the response to the Switch 2's price. The resounding consensus online is shock and disappointment at the high cost of not just the Switch 2 console itself, but also the games, which appear to be priced around $80 based on the prices for Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.
For context, that's higher than a typical AAA PC game, which is around $60 or $70 today. Those games notably tend to have much higher quality graphics than Switch games. So, it's no wonder Redditors are furious at the game pricing for the Switch 2.
In fact, Nintendo seems to be nickel-and-diming its users wherever it can. Even the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, which functions as a tutorial... is a paid "game." Who would pay for the system tutorial? It's truly hard to fathom how Nintendo can expect gamers to want to pay for that, on top of paying more for the console itself and the games.
This pricing may have major repercussions for Nintendo, too.
As one Bluesky user said, "It's called Switch 2 because after watching Nintendo Direct imma Switch 2 Steam Deck."
This pricing could put Nintendo in a precarious position by pushing gamers toward less expensive devices with less expensive games, particularly handheld gaming PCs.
For Nintendo's sake, I sure hope to see a lot of sales on Switch 2 consoles and games, and it sounds like many other gamers are in the same boat. At the least, they could have made the tutorial free.
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