Off the Shelf Media

On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 finally launched. To celebrate its release, retailers like Best Buy hosted midnight launch parties while Walmart went viral on the Internet for delivering its Switch 2 pre-orders with a can of Coca-Cola and Pringles. 

In only four days, Nintendo sold over 3.5 million units globally, making it the fastest-selling Nintendo game console ever, according to Nintendo, of course. 

Retailing at $449.99 MSRP, 3.5 million units is quite the payday for Nintendo. The cost of games varies, but the digital download for Mario Kart World is priced at $79.99, while the 2017 title, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, is priced at $69.99, originally costing $59.99 on the Switch. 

For $84.99, you can purchase a Switch 2 Pro Controller and with an additional $54.99, you can purchase a video camera. The best deal is the classic Nintendo GameCube controller, only compatible with the Switch 2, for $64.99. Remember when you could plug the GameCube controllers that you likely already owned into your Wii?

Despite the high costs of entry to Nintendo’s newest console, fans seem to be responding positively overall. So why is the Nintendo Switch 2’s release bad news for gamers?

Show me the money 

I am neither a technologist nor an economist. At a basic level, I understand that the costs of goods and labor is on the rise. I also understand that the Switch 2 is a more enhanced console and therefore costs more, but what are gamers actually paying for?

As reported by PCMag, the Switch 2 screen offers a big improvement from the Switch. With a 7.9-inch LCD screen and 1080p resolution, gamers can expect a crisper, more vibrant experience than what the Switch’s 6.2 inch LCD screen. 

In terms of its CPU and GPU, the bread and butter, Nintendo upgraded to Nvidia processors for improved gameplay and capabilities. However, it isn’t better than the current installments from other competing consoles. According to NPR, it won’t beat the PlayStation 5, but is certainly comparable at the least to a PlayStation 4, which released in 2013. That being said, unlike the PlayStation 4, the Switch 2 is able to operate at an impressive capacity even while playing handheld. 

If you’ll be downloading games like Breath of the Wild and Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, you should have plenty of room, as the system comes with 256GB internal memory alone. It’s a big leap from the Switch’s 32GB of memory without any MicroSD card support and one that is a nice plus for the system.  

New features exclusively introduced by the Switch 2 include GameChat, a screen-sharing, videochat option to play with friends, and the mouse controls with the Joy-Con 2. If you enjoy battle royale titles like Fortnite, expect to be able to compete with the best of them, but be sure to purchase your $55 camera to really enjoy the online gaming features. 

A few additional changes, though not ones that I truly care about, include an improved kickstand for the device and slightly better loading times for games due to its internal improvements. 

Perhaps the biggest letdown? The Switch 2 features a shorter battery life. Despite a better screen specifically for handheld play, expect to get less mileage out of this device while on the go. 

As I wrote in my article, “Did We Really Need a Nintendo Switch 2?,” I mentioned that when playing Nintendo games, my goal was to never have a hyper-realistic game with ray tracing and all of the other bells and whistles. Nintendo games never needed fancy graphics to be good. It’s actually always been part of Nintendo’s charm that these games weren’t labor-intensive for a system to run. 

Take Pokémon LeafGreen, for example, with its classic 8-bit look that I actually prefer over the more modern style of Pokémon Sword. It’s arguably one of the greatest games in the franchise and it came out in 2004 and looks like it came out in 2004. Yet, it’s such a great game, you never hear anyone complain about the graphics, do you?

Technologically speaking, devoted Switch fans itching for an improved gaming experience are likely to find it with Switch 2, assuming they’re happy to pay for it. Personally, none of these features excite me enough to open my wallet, especially when my Switch works as well as the day I bought it, and I still have a backlog of games to play through for it. But that isn’t my concern. 

Setting an expensive standard

In all honesty, my largest concern with the Switch 2 isn’t the cost of the console. In my view, charging more for a console that performs better while still being priced below competitors from PlayStation and Xbox feels fairly reasonable. 

My true concern is what the Nintendo Switch 2’s success will mean for the future costs of gaming. Specifically, what it will mean for the cost of games. 

When it was announced that Mario Kart World would retail at $80, fans were in an uproar, myself included. This new price tag is a $20 increase from Mario Kart Deluxe 8, retailing for $59.99. For me, the allure of grander online play, a feature I never used for Nintendo games at all, and an open world aspect is not worth the cost. But to be fair, I haven’t played it yet. 

Whether the game is good or not is not really the issue. The issue is normalizing $80 games, especially because it’s not only Nintendo making the jump. 

On the topic of game prices increasing for games, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford responded to Twitter user saying, “If you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen. My local game store had Starflight for Sega Genesis for $80 in 1991 when I was just out of high school working minimum wage at an ice cream parlor in Pismo Beach and I found a way to make it happen.”

First, right out of high school likely implies living at home with few bills and few concerns. I spent my money on stupid things too when I was right out of high school. I wasn’t “making it happen,” I was being irresponsible. But I digress. 

What is most glaringly obvious to me from this response is the seemingly lack of concern or care for who these games are being made for. A company building without soul or thought for the who and why shouldn’t be building products for consumers, period, especially when that product does have such a devoted fan base. It’s, frankly, bad business practice in my view. 

Fellow staff writer Nash Moorer argues in his article, “Where has my Ubisoft Gone,” that part of Ubisoft’s recent issues stem from a lack of understanding as to what their players enjoy and why they enjoy them. The end result is a trial-and-error grab bag where no data is collected or evaluated. And so, they press ever forward through the dark with no flashlight. 

In my view, Nintendo has always seemed to have a thumb on the pulse of its gamers. They know their fans are devoted, dedicated, and loyal. Nintendo solidified my love for gaming as a child and is single-handedly responsible for reigniting that love as an adult with the Switch. 

The success of the Switch 2 at launch can be attributed to the love and loyalty of Nintendo fans, which is why I hope Nintendo doesn’t take advantage of that. Based on the current costs of games, featuring titles that many of those fans already own, and the price of the accessories being promoted, it certainly doesn’t feel considerate. Yes, it’s a business, but it’s a business that wouldn’t have thrived without the devotion of its fans.  

Yet, even still, I trust Nintendo more than other game developers. While Nintendo games rarely go on sale, they also aren’t brought to market until the game is ready.

Collectively, many of our staff writers have critiqued the costs of games due to how incomplete most games are upon release. To Nintendo’s credit, they don’t hold that reputation. But will the same be said of Pitchford’s Borderlands 4? If this new price point becomes the standard, I can’t imagine either party will walk away satisfied.  

Tale as old as time

Despite all of the outrage and complaints at the initial announcement of the costs, not many people had actions to backup their words. The Switch 2 seems to be off to hot start despite few console-exclusive titles yet available while certain issues like Joy-Con drift are already seeming to persist. 

While my early prediction that Switch 2 would flop appears to be wrong, we will see in the long run how well the system really does as more games are brought to market. Will Nintendo Switch 2 go out with a bang or a whisper? Will we all be stuck spending $80 for games that are only so-so? Only time will tell. 

As for me, I’m going to boot up my Switch. Or my GameCube. Or my Wii. Because they all still work, and the games are still better than most of what has been released since. 

Did you get a Switch 2 on release day? Let us know why or why not in the comments!