In the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, many questions about the new system were answered, though it also raised a big question for me: Is Nintendo over-milking the cow?
With a surprisingly high price point for both the console and the actual games themselves, I can’t help but think that Nintendo are forsaking a large chunk of their current customer base to chase higher profits.
You’re not welcome
The writing was on the wall when the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour was announced. The trailer shows a miniature person navigating the insides of the Switch 2 and reading info-graphics about the console.
I jokingly said to myself, “Astro’s Playroom from Temu,” as the game is designed to show off the hardware and new joycon controller. However, my jaw dropped when it was revealed that this tech tour would be a PAID experience… Madness.
When the game serves as a tutorial/exhibition for the system, surely you’d would want every player to be able to access it? Not lock it behind a paywall?
READ MORE: Nintendo Switch 2: Everything You Need To Know
Please console me.
The Switch 2 console will cost $699, significantly higher than the price of the original Nintendo Switch, which launched at $470 AUD in March 2017. It’s even more expensive than the later OLED model.
Obviously, the NS2 has better tech inside it than its predecessor — though exactly how much better is a closely guarded secret — but whether the power boost is in line with the price boost is a different story.
The NS2 will have a 120hz 1080p screen that’s 30% bigger than the NS1. It will also feature HDR technology and the ability to hit 4K and 120fsp while docked (though unlikely both at the same time). The NS2 not having an OLED screen at this price point seems like a big miss. It would’ve gone a long way to justifying the hefty price tag.
It will feature eight times more storage than the NS1, which will also allow faster transfer rates. The dock will have its own cooling fan, and the joycon controllers now attach with magnets.
Other features on offer — like game chat, a camera peripheral, and a mouse mode for the joycons — feel more like gimmicks than real selling points. Game chat (something that Nintendo has been decades behind on) had a particularly unimpressive showing, with the preview of what it looks like to view your friend’s game screen looking incredibly laggy.
While the Nintendo Switch 2 is cheaper than many other portable gaming systems on the market — like Valve’s Steam Deck — those other handhelds also have access to competitive game pricing via Steam and regular sales, making the one off price hit more palatable.
READ MORE: Every Game Announced For The Nintendo Switch 2
You think this is a game!?
The real nail in the coffin, for me personally, was the big jump in the cost of games. While we don’t have Aussie eShop prices just yet, EB Games and JB HI-FI have their prices up, which are in line with the USD MSRP.
EB Games
Mario Kart World – $119.95 AUD
Donkey Kong Bananza – $109.95 AUD
JB HI-FI
Mario Kart World – $114 AUD
Donkey Kong Bananza – $104 AUD
By comparison, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched at $90 at EB Games, $79 at JB HI-FI, and $89.95 on the Nintendo eShop. Mario Odyssey launched at $80 at EB Games, $69 at JB HI-FI, and $79.95 on the Nintendo eShop.
Nintendo isn’t the first company to increase game prices, and it certainly won’t be the last. But the $25-$30 price jump here is a massive one and feels particularly egregious when you take into account Nintendo’s often-stingy sale prices and evergreen-pricing strategy.
READ MORE: ‘I’m expecting Mario Kart World LARPing to be a thing’
Forced to Switch.
With its hefty price tag and much more expensive games, the barrier for entry is much higher than it was for the original Switch. One of the big reasons that console cultivated such a large install base was because it was a much more affordable option, which helped many casual gamers and families make the leap.
A whopping 150+ million Nintendo Switch consoles have been sold to date, so I had expected that install base to be transitioned gradually through cross-generation titles — like with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S — But all of the big games revealed so far appear to be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. Big hitters like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, and The Duskbloods won’t be releasing on the OG Switch at all.
I can’t help but feel like Nintendo is pricing out a large number of loyal fans, who’ve been given the choice of coughing up the cash or being left behind.
