"Exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 Games Ease Price Shock, Says Ex-PlayStation Boss"

The former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, Shawn Layden, has weighed in on the pricing controversy surrounding Nintendo's Switch 2. He argues that the allure of exclusive Nintendo games significantly softens the impact of the higher price tags. Last week, Nintendo announced that the Switch 2 would retail at $449.99, which is about $50 higher than what some analysts anticipated. Additionally, the price for certain Switch 2 games, such as Mario Kart World, has been set at $79.99—a $10 increase over previous titles. This has sparked debate among gamers and industry watchers alike.

Nintendo has attempted to mitigate the cost by offering a bundle that includes Mario Kart World with the Nintendo Switch 2 for $499.99, effectively reducing the game's price by $30. However, this bundle is only available for a limited time, and its future availability remains uncertain due to ongoing tariff issues and pre-order delays in the U.S.

The $80 price point isn't exclusive to Mario Kart World; other Switch 2 Edition games announced during the Nintendo Direct, such as Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, also carry this new price.

IGN has covered extensive reactions to this pricing strategy, including insights from analysts. Layden, speaking on the PlayerDriven YouTube channel and podcast, contrasted Nintendo's approach with that of Sony and Microsoft. He noted that while Sony and Microsoft are moving away from exclusive titles towards multi-platform availability, Nintendo remains committed to keeping its iconic franchises exclusive to its hardware.

"But right here you see, ‘wow, that’s kind of a hefty price hike from Switch 1 to Switch 2 and, wow, 80 bucks for a game?’" Layden remarked. "But if it’s the only place where you can play Mario, then you get your wallet out and you buy into it... and Donkey Kong and Zelda. That first-party exclusivity kind of mitigates the sticker shock, if you will, of these price hikes, because you want that content so bad."

Here's a breakdown of the Nintendo Switch 2 pricing in the U.S.:

Nintendo Switch 2 by itself: $449.99
Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World bundled in: $499.99
Mario Kart World by itself: $79.99
Donkey Kong Bananza: $69.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $79.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: $49.99
Joy-Con 2 Controller pair: $89.99
Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip: $34.99
Joy-Con 2 Strap: $12.99
Joy-Con 2 Wheel pair: $19.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set: $109.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector: $34.99
Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case: $79.99
Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter: $29.99

Layden also touched on the broader topic of video game pricing, suggesting that when adjusted for inflation, game prices have actually decreased over time. He argued that console manufacturers should have incrementally increased game prices by $5 with each new console generation, which would have brought them to around $90 today.

"In 2025 dollars, $59.99 in 1999 is equivalent to $100. Your purchasing power compared to your cost of living, it's much smaller now than it was before, but still companies have been reluctant to push that price up. I was in it at the time — probably every generation they should have baked in a $5 software price hike, and make that the typical, 'well every generation it's another five bucks.' And you would have been up to $90 already by now," Layden explained.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes

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In an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, discussed the rationale behind the $80 price tag for Mario Kart World. Trinen emphasized the game's value and the extensive content it offers, which will be detailed further in an upcoming dedicated Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct.

"I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value?" Trinen stated. "Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that. But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had."

Regarding the $80 price for other Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, Trinen pointed out that there are upgrade paths for existing owners of these games on the original Switch, with both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($69.99) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($79.99) included in the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. However, new buyers on the Switch 2 do not receive a discount.

"Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?'" Trinen elaborated. "What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game. For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those. But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that."

On the topic of the Switch 2's $450 price point, Trinen acknowledged the rising costs associated with producing new gaming hardware but maintained that Nintendo aims to set an appropriate price based on the value and experience offered by the console.

"Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time," he told IGN. "But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that."

Despite Nintendo's efforts to justify the pricing, some fans are worried that the new prices could make the Switch 2 and its games less accessible, particularly if tariffs lead to further price increases.