Nintendo Switch 2 variable pricing explained
Nintendo Switch 2 will finally be releasing globally on June 05, 2025, and is now out for pre-orders. Despite being one of the most anticipated consoles, as soon as the release date was revealed during Nintendo Switch 2 direct, the console, as well as Nintendo, faced a ton of backlash from gamers. One such reason for the backlash was the high game prices for the Switch 2.
Mario Kart, which is one of the biggest IPs for Nintendo, will also be receiving a new title. Mario Kart World will be a launch day title that you can grab with the Switch 2. Interesting right? Well, the game is priced at a whopping $80. Similarly, there are many other titles, including Zelda BOTW and TOTK, that gamers feel are overpriced. But Nintendo stated that they will be following a variable pricing strategy.
What is Nintendo's variable pricing strategy?
What Nintendo means by variable pricing is that, unlike what most social media posts at the moment indicate, not all games will be priced at $80 or $90. During a conversation with the Washington Post a short while back, Doug Bowser, President of Nintendo America, revealed that every game will be priced at a different rate.
“What you see right there is variable pricing. We’ll look at each game, really look at the development that’s gone into the game, the breadth and depth of the gameplay, if you will, the durability over time and the repeatability of gameplay experiences."
He also insisted that Nintendo will look at several other factors before deciding on the price point for a game.
“Those are all factors, and there’s many more that go into consideration of what is the right price point for the game. So I think you can anticipate that there will be variable pricing, and we haven’t set a benchmark.”
Furthermore, Doug explained that variable pricing was somewhat present in the earlier generation of consoles as well. He stated that this is not just because of the changing industry standards, but it also justifies the efforts that the developers put into any specific game.
"I think it’s less about representing the industry … this is really about Nintendo deciding the right thing to do for its products or what the pricing should be for its products overall,” he said. “Even in the previous generation … we had some variability,” Bowser stated.
All-in-all, nothing can be said for sure about the future game releases for Nintendo Switch 2. Bowser has already made it pretty clear that the price tags will vary for every Switch 2 title. If you decide to buy Zelda: Breath of the Wild alongside the DLC on Switch 2, it will cost you a whopping $90. Similarly, Mario Kart World is priced at $80, and Donkey Kong Bananza is priced at $70.
Also Read: 5 times Nintendo changed gaming forever with revolutionary innovations
For more gaming news and updates, stay tuned to Sportskeeda.