Some NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Games Will Cost Up To $90, Starting With MARIO KART WORLD

Some NINTENDO SWITCH 2 Games Will Cost Up To $90, Starting With MARIO KART WORLD

Nintendo has become the first publisher to test the wallets of gamers, revealing that Mario Kart World will cost $80 for the Nintendo Switch 2 digitally and $90 for a physical copy.

By MattIsForReal - Apr 02, 2025 06:04 PM EST
Filed Under: Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo is testing the wallets of gamers becoming the first publisher to raise the price of its games to $80. The newly announced Super Mario World will be the first Nintendo game priced at $80, and that's for a digital copy. If you opt for a physical copy of the game it will cost $90.

To be clear, this will not be the price of every Nintendo Switch 2 game as Donkey Kong Bananaza, which was also revealed for the Switch 2 today, is priced at $70. Up until now, most first-party games for the Nintendo Switch have cost $59.99 at launch. Nintendo has only released one game at the $70 price point, and that was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. It now seems $70 will be the new minimum for first-party Nintendo titles.

This is also the first time we're seeing an increase in price for a physical copy of a Nintendo game. Priced at $90, a physical copy of Mario Kart World will cost $10 more than if you were to purchase it digitally. It's possible this price increase is being used to encourage digital sales in order to kill the secondhand gaming market. 

If $80 is too rich for your blood, you can opt for the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle which is priced at $499.99. With a standalone Switch 2 piced at $449, this means you're getting Mario Kart World for $50, a much easier price point to digest. 

At this point, it's unclear what criteria Nintendo will use to determine the prices of its first-party games. It's possible that with the newly introduced game sharing, any first-party multiplayer game will cost $80 since only one person needs to own a copy of it.

Prior to today, it was thought that Grand Theft Auto 6 could be the first game to test the $80 price point. Now that Nintendo has blown it open, it's almost certain that Take-Two and Rockstar will follow suit. Heck, they may even charge upwards of $100, especially if a game like Mario Kart could command $80.

Given that the cost of developing games has risen tenfold over the past decade or so, many of us expected an eventual increase in game prices. I think it was just a bit unexpected to see Nintendo as the first publisher to move the needle, especially with a game like Mario Kart World. Perhaps Nintendo is quietly hoping the $80 to $90 price tag for Mario Kart World will encourage more gamers to opt for the Switch 2 bundle at launch.

Speaking of launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available on June 5th for $449.99. Pre-orders open up on April 9th.

ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM And Other Switch 2 Edition Re-Releases Priced Between $70 And $80
Related:

ZELDA: TEARS OF THE KINGDOM And Other Switch 2 Edition Re-Releases Priced Between $70 And $80

GameCube Games Coming To Nintendo Switch Online But Only For The Switch 2
Recommended For You:

GameCube Games Coming To Nintendo Switch Online But Only For The Switch 2

DISCLAIMER: As a user generated site and platform, GameFragger.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and "Safe Harbor" provisions.

This post was submitted by a user who has agreed to our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. GameFragger.com will disable users who knowingly commit plagiarism, piracy, trademark or copyright infringement. Please CONTACT US for expeditious removal of copyrighted/trademarked content. CLICK HERE to learn more about our copyright and trademark policies.

Note that GameFragger.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Be the first to comment and get the conversation going!

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

View Recorder