Nintendo bumps games prices: Digital Switch 2 games at $80, physical $90

Nintendo has bumped prices of its games to $80, and is prepared to charge as much as $90 for physical Switch 2 cartridges.

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Today, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 will arrive on June 5 for $450, which is higher than most analysts had predicted. The system isn't the only thing that may be expensive to consumers who are currently navigating uncertain global economic conditions--the games themselves will be more expensive than the Switch 1 generation.

While not mentioned in press release information, Nintendo has inadvertently confirmed that Switch 2 games will be priced at $80 for digital titles and $90 for physical cartridge-based games. Nintendo's official Mario Kart World website confirms a $79.99 MSRP for the game, and the same game is listed at 89.99 euros on the Nintendo Spain Store (the prices are typically the same between Europe and North America).

This new MSRP comes just 5 years after game prices were raised by $10 to $69.99, and currently that's where they stay on existing gen 9 consoles. But Nintendo has opened the door to new higher-priced games, justifying the hike with a bevy of new content. The first $90 game,Mario Kart World, has a lot of content--so much that Nintendo may be trying to negotiate the price hike with content that would otherwise be reserved for paid expansion packs down the line.

Our own data reveals that gamers feel video game prices are too high but users are more willing to spend more if the content is right.

In 2023, we surveyed over 25,000 users and asked about video game prices. 68% of them, or 17,000 people, responded that $60 was the maximum they'd be willing to spend on a new video game. Only 23%, or 5,700 people, said that they'd be willing to spend $70 if the content-to-price ratio were just right.

This delicate push-pull between value, content, and price will continue as the games industry tries to find its footing after market corrections.

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