The controversial variable pricing model Nintendo is pushing appears to bleed into the upgrade paths that it offers, as well, as some games will cost more to upgrade than others. Now the only somewhat saving grace for this is that it seems like Nintendo are reserving the higher priced upgrade path for games that introduce new, more fleshed-out content into the mix.
For example, while Zelda Notes is a feature introduced with the £7.99 upgrade of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, from the looks of it, it's just a digital notebook. In contast, Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star-Crossed World, which costs £16.99, it comes with the game, as well as Star-Crossed World, a remixed campaign. Similarly, this will be the upgrade price for Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ＋ Jamboree TV, with £16.99 being its price.
Now, we saw what new content can be expected with Super Mario Party on the Switch 2, with new minigames and functionalities, so perhaps that's Nintendo's way of justifying the upgrade price, but it no doubt still rubs some people the wrong way that the model isn't more standardized and consumer-friendly. Granted, technically, could've not even offered upgrade paths, but that's neither here nor there.
Nintendo has gone ahead and is finally allowing pre-orders here in North America, with some changes to accessory prices, after tariff-induced delays led to the consolemaker hastily pulling initial plans.
All controversy aside, the Nintendo Switch 2 is bound to succeed, considering it's just a more powerful, feature-rich Nintendo Switch. It also has some hard-hitting arrivals, with plenty of third-party support, such as Cyberpunk 2077, which is using a special Switch 2 version of DLSS across all versions to ensure you get at least 30 FPS. Meanwhile, you have GameCube games finally making the rounds as part of the Switch Online offers for Switch 2 adoptors. We also have a Switch 2 exclusive PvPvE game developed by FromSoftware titled The Duskbloods, which looks a like Bloodborne without the whole Sony involvement.
Now, it's important to note that while the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming, Nintendo doesn't have plans to totally stop supporting the original Switch, which is a good idea, as the console's price might be a hard pill for some people to swallow. But, hey, at least GameStop is offering up to $175 for original Switch trade-ins to put toward the new Switch 2.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is poised to be out in the wild on June 5.