One game, controller costs almost half of Switch's price

At $299 Nintendo's new Switch console is less than a PS4 or Xbox One, but the system has a galaxy of peripherals, accessories, and controllers that can rack the cost real high real fast.

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Buying a Nintendo Switch Pro controller and Zelda: Breath of the Wild cost me $137 at my local Walmart: the Pro controller is $69.99 and Breath of the Wild cost your standard $59.99. That's nearly half of the Switch's total $299 retail price--so in essence I purchased a single game and a single controller for almost 50% of the console's price tag.

So why is the Nintendo Switch Pro controller so much, and why would you buy it when the Switch comes with two JoyCon controllers? The Pro controller sports the JoyCon's motion tracking, gyroscopes, accelerometer and HD Rumble tech in a much more user-friendly package. The controller is comfortable and well-made, and if you plan on getting the Switch to play Zelda: Breath of the Wild then you might want to invest in the device. But the biggest reason to pick it up is simple: gamers are having connection issues with the JoyCons.

I have to make it clear, though: the Switch Pro controller is 100% optional. The included JoyCon controllers will play all games just fine (assuming yours aren't affected by the desync issues!). All in all it's matter of preference, really.

I just wanted to give everyday consumers and gamers a bit of perspective on what to expect with the Switch in terms of cost.

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Console launches are traditionally expensive. This is nothing new to the industry--just look at the PlayStation 3's massive price tag, for example. I still remember spending $100 on a 20GB hard drive for the Xbox 360 when it came out in 2005, and $60 for a portable memory card so I could take my saves with me on the go.

But the Switch has a massive array of add-ons, accessories, cases, chargers, tablet holders, straps and much more. Buying into these accessories could skyrocket your costs--but the basic essentials, like the Pro controller and the games--are still somewhat expensive.

Again, though, most of these things are 100% optional and are meant to supplement the console itself.

We'll be rolling out tons of Nintendo Switch coverage in the coming days, so keep an eye out for our content and our feature-length review on the system!

The Nintendo Switch is now available for $299. Check below for a massive catalog of Nintendo Switch coverage.

Everything we know about the Nintendo Switch:

• Nintendo Switch runs cool, about 37C under load
• Nintendo Switch has 25.9 GB available memory, OS is 4GB
• Nintendo Switch may use 4GB LPDDR4 1600MHz RAM
• Early Nintendo Switch consoles were actually stolen
• Nintendo won't make you rebuy eShop games on the Switch
• Nintendo Switch 480p downscale hint at Gamecube VC games
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be a playground of fun
• Satoru Iwata put lots of effort into the Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch supports wireless Bluetooth headsets
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild has $20 season pass
• Nintendo Switch uses 20nm Maxwell Tegra SoC
• Nintendo Switch easy for devs, light years past Wii U
• Hitman dev may be working on new IP for Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch could get Wii U game remasters
• 3DS supported alongside Switch 'for the time being'
• Devs can 'easily' port PC games to the Nintendo Switch
• Nintendo Switch JoyCons have 525mAh lithium ion battery
• Nintendo Switch is the gamer's dream, says Hideo Kojima
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild is about doing things your way
• Nintendo Switch has over 100 games in development
• Nintendo Switch paid online service only costs $26 a year
• Nintendo Switch appeals to Japanese smartphone gamers
• New Zelda is based on three words 'climb, live, protect'
• EA: Nintendo listening to third-party Switch game devs
• First footage of Nintendo Switch's touchscreen in action
• Nintendo Switch games lineup: a visual guide
• Nintendo Switch replaces Wii U on Nintendo homesite
• Nintendo Switch battery life analysis
• Resident Evil 7 isn't coming to Nintendo Switch
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Hyrule is bigger than Skyrim
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild has an awesome physics engine
• Switch's 4310mAh battery takes 3 hours to fully recharge
• Could the Nintendo Switch's hit full potential and boost CPU/GPU power via NVIDIA's cloud servers
• Nintendo Switch will have 'steady pacing of content'
• Switch is all about 'playing games anywhere with anyone'
• Nintendo Switch will have 'steady pacing of content'
• Putting Nintendo Switch launch games into perspective
• Stock Nintendo Switch JoyConGrip won't recharge JoyCons
• The new Zelda game takes up nearly half Switch's storage
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild runs at 900p 30FPS docked, 720p 30FPS undocked
• Nintendo Switch supports 2TB Micro SDXC cards
• Nintendo Switch online chat requires smartphone app
• Here's why Nintendo Switch doesn't come with any games
• Nintendo will soon charging gamers to play online multiplayer via subscription service
• Nintendo Switch UI revealed, let's take a closer look
• Nintendo Switch touchscreen has haptic feedback tech
• Nintendo stock drops after Switch unveil event
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Switch runs at 1080p when docked
• Nintendo Switch hardware specs revealed
• Nintendo Switch costs $299, coming March 3
• Nintendo Switch battery life is 2.5 hours to 6 hours
• New Mario: Odyssey game won't be Nintendo Switch launch title
• Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Switch launch game