Nintendo Switch 2 Already Has A Mountain Of Issues To Face

Last Wednesday, April 2nd, Nintendo held their long-awaited Switch 2 presentation, showing off the system’s launch window line-up and the console’s new features. After months of questions, fans finally got a glimpse at the system’s key new title, information about improved versions of original Switch games, and how Nintendo was planning on handling online chat — including the much-discussed “C” button. Yet while new console reveals have always been exciting, the new Switch presentation left viewers with one major question by the end: how much is this going to cost? Pricing information was suspiciously absent from the entire video.

It wasn’t long, though, before press releases and the official Nintendo web site provided answers. The console itself? $449.99, a large jump from the original Switch’s comparatively budget $299.99. Meanwhile, Switch 2 games experienced a “console generation jump” of $10, making games $69.99. All except the company’s new flagship title, Mario Kart World, which is going to cost consumers $79.99. A bold choice that seemingly represents a continued march towards tiered-pricing for Nintendo software.

Let’s get the positives out of the way, first. The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal was, at least by most fans account, an excellent showcase. While there weren’t many first-party titles, Mario Kart World, Kirby Air Riders, and Donkey Kong Bananza are a solid combo of mainstream, fan-favorites, and nostalgic returns that would excite any Nintendo fan. Meanwhile, titles like Drag x Drive prove the quirky side of the company is still there, and delightfully inclusive at the same time.

The boost in graphical capability is also appreciated, as the Switch 1 began showing its age years ago. The Switch 2’s increased power makes it easier for third-party companies to make their return to the system with AAA games, and the Switch 2 presentation showed several companies doing exactly that. Fans who prefer to game on Nintendo consoles will likely be able to play both Nintendo first-party and major third-party games for some time to come.

However, not everything has gone perfect since the reveal. Nintendo’s pricing for their new console has made waves online, leaving a number of fans disgruntled. During the Nintendo Treehouse streams, where they were showing deep dives into their new titles, fans filled the YouTube chat with demands to lower the price. Though Nintendo’s noticed the complaints, the answers surrounding them haven’t been that encouraging. Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser offered a statement while speaking with CBC:

“We recognize there are some people that may not be able to afford [the Switch 2’s] price point. That’s why we wanted to make the other Switch platforms available, so [people] still have an opportunity to come into our gaming universe, be a part of these characters in these worlds, and see value, if you will, in whatever rung of the platform they come in.”

It’s a statement that’s oddly reminiscent of Don Mattrick’s legendary “We have a product for people who can’t get online, it’s called Xbox 360” uttered nearly 12 years ago over concerns that the Xbox One was an always-online console. Or perhaps more accurately, when former SCE CEO Ken Kutaragi wrote off concerns of the PlayStation 3’s $600 price point with the idea that consumers should “think to themselves, ‘I will work more hours to buy one!'” Whether Bowser’s quote is as bad as Mattrick’s or Kutaragi’s is for the history books to decide.

Still, it’s a reminder that while these companies make games that have touched the hearts of fans across generations, none of them are our friends. Moreover, it’s a reminder of a particularly common pattern with game companies: as they get more successful, they become less concerned with what’s “pro-consumer” and more interested in what’s going to get them the best ROI.

Of course, Nintendo’s attitude toward their prices aren’t the only problem they have. In a move that’s puzzling to anyone that isn’t a die-hard supporter of the current administration, America has chosen to levy massive tariffs against every other country in the world. Though it’s going to have an effect on the entire gaming industry sooner rather than later, Nintendo specifically is already having to make some tough decisions. Just two days after the Switch reveal, Nintendo revealed they wouldn’t be able to take pre-orders for their new console thanks to President Trump’s tariffs.

Though the launch date remains unchanged, it’s almost a given the Switch 2 will be more expensive if the tariffs aren’t repealed. Analysts have suggested an increase of 20% on the new console, meaning it could cost as much as $540 in the United States. That’s without even factoring in the cost of the games, which is a different problem entirely, tariffs or not.

Since the Nintendo Select days ended after the Wii, they’ve been known as a company that doesn’t exactly offer cheap gaming. Throughout the 2010s, Nintendo’s physical game editions were known for keeping their value better than any other publisher or developer’s. In the 2020s, as gaming has become largely digital, it’s gotten worse. Nintendo has near-complete control over their game pricing. Their games scarcely go on sale, and never at the deep discounts that other titles deal with. With the Switch 2, it’s entirely possible to see a $79.99 title like Mario Kart World go on sale for $59.99, a price considered MSRP for launch-day titles only a few short years ago. It feels like a bit of a slap in the face for budget-conscious gamers.

Nintendo’s initial launch will still be a massive success, considering how many avid fans are simply eager to have new hardware. But eventually the most devoted fans and people who don’t mind spending a premium on new technology will be tapped out. What’s their strategy for picking up everyone else? Especially when they’re obsessed with making sure the company and fans alike “respect the value” of their games.

Perhaps there’s a chance we’ll find out more this summer. As interesting as the Switch 2 presentation was, it was noticeably missing quite a few expected titles. Chief of which is a 3D Mario, as fans haven’t seen anything from that franchise since 2017’s Super Mario Odyssey. With two months to go until the Switch launches, it is possible they have another Direct planned for mid-June. Right now, they certainly need as many reasons to distract their audience as possible.