Nintendo has confirmed that it’s going to start selling some Switch 2 games at a lower price.
- READ MORE: The essential games for every Switch 2 owner
Yesterday (March 25) Nintendo announced that in the future, physical Switch 2 games will be more expensive than their digital counterparts.
“Nintendo games offer the same experiences whether in packaged or digital format, and this change simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format and offers players more choice in how they can buy and play Nintendo games,” they explained in a press release. “As always, retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary.”
This change will start with Yoshi And The Mysterious Book, which is due to launch May 21, 2026. The digital edition of the adventure game costs £49.99 while a physical copy will set you back £58.99. Currently, the Nintendo Switch 2 edition of Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild and Kirby And The Forgotten Land all cost £66.99 from the official Nintendo store, regardless of format.
We’ve made an update to how new digital and physical versions of Nintendo games are priced on Nintendo Switch 2. Learn more here: https://t.co/uSbF7A2T5H
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 25, 2026
Shortly after the announcement, Nintendo released a second statement that hit back at claims this was a quiet price hike for physical games. “The cost of physical games is not going up,” they told IGN. “This means that when Nintendo sells digital versions of Nintendo published games exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 to consumers in the U.S., those prices will have an MSRP that is lower than their physical counterparts.”
When the Switch 2 first launched, Nintendo experimented with different prices for physical and digital games. Donkey Kong Bananza costs either £66.99 or £58.99 depending on what format you want, while a physical version of Mario Kart World is £74.99 compared to the £66.99 digital edition.
Nintendo Of America’s former President Doug Bowser previously said Switch 2 games would use “variable pricing,” to determine their cost. “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 explained. “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.”
Earlier this month, Nintendo announced it would be taking legal action against the American import tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last year.
In other news, free-to-play Pokémon game Champions launches next month.
English (US) · 