Nintendo’s Desperate Price Hike

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Nintendo has found a way to make the eight-year-old game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” cost more on the new Nintendo Switch 2. This company is cherished worldwide for its remarkable legacy in video game development and hardware innovation. From Mario and Zelda to Metroid, their franchises have continuously pushed boundaries within the gaming medium over several decades. Their hardware has significantly impacted the industry, with creations like the Wii revolutionizing motion gaming and allowing players to actively engage with their games. The Nintendo Switch, a groundbreaking device that merged Nintendo’s handheld expertise with console capabilities, is still influencing technology today, even inspiring platforms such as Steam to follow suit.

Of course, Nintendo opted to enhance the gaming experience with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, boasting enhanced capabilities compared to its popular predecessor. Set to launch in June, this new console promises to be a sought-after gadget in 2022, but it’s not without its drawbacks. For one, the prices of Nintendo Switch 2 games have significantly increased from their previous versions. While Nintendo initially sold many of its first-party games for $60, they tested the market with Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and priced it at $70. Although gamers generally accepted this increase given the game’s grandeur, now the situation has changed. The games for the Switch 2 will cost a hefty $80, and some fans are wondering if Nintendo games warrant such a high price tag, especially considering their impressive lineup.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild Is More Expensive on Switch 2 Than It Was Nearly a Decade Ago

Upon the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2, you’ll find a mix of fresh and reintroduced games. Among these retrofitted titles, two standouts are “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” and its sequel, “Tears of the Kingdom”. These games are highly acclaimed in the gaming world, with “Breath of the Wild” setting a high standard as one of the best launch games for the initial Switch back in 2017. Interestingly, according to pre-sale listings from Walmart and Best Buy, these games will be priced higher on the Nintendo Switch 2. Specifically, “Breath of the Wild” is listed at $70, while “Tears of the Kingdom” is priced at $80 for the new console. This means a $10 increase in price compared to their original Nintendo Switch versions.

Absolutely, these two versions will offer advantages like boosted frame rates, enhanced resolution, HDR, and additional features through the Nintendo Switch App, such as gifting in-game items to other players. Existing players can upgrade their copies to the Switch 2 version for $10 if they already own the game, but newcomers will end up spending more than the original prices of both games, which were released eight and two years ago respectively. Unfortunately, there’s no confirmation that the DLC for Breath of the Wild is included in these updated versions.

In a video showcasing gameplay from “Breath of the Wild” on the upcoming Switch 2, a quick glance at the main menu reveals a section for downloadable content (DLC). Since having all DLCs would make this feature unnecessary, it implies that some additional purchases are required to fully enjoy “Breath of the Wild”. This means spending around $90 on a game that’s nearly a decade old and originally released on Wii U. Keep in mind that this expense is in addition to the cost of the new Nintendo Switch 2 console itself.

What do you think of Nintendo’s strategy with Nintendo Switch 2? Let me know in the comments.

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2025-04-03 05:39