There's no denying the excitement of a new console reveal, and Nintendo certainly delivered with the graphical capabilities of the Switch 2. Despite the absence of a new 3D Mario game (it's been almost eight years since Super Mario Odyssey—why must my pain continue?), the reveal showcased the open-world Mario Kart World, the return of Donkey Kong to the limelight, and a pseudo-successor to Bloodborne called The Duskbloods. However, one aspect of the reveal has overshadowed everything else—the price. Not just the console itself, priced at $449.99, which isn't an outrageous cost for new technology in 2025, but also the cost of games and accessories needed to fully enjoy the Switch 2. So, is the price of admission to Nintendo's new toys really too high? Let's dive in.

Many headlines have focused on the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World. This is certainly an eye-opener in an age where $60 or $70 has been the norm. The initial reaction is to say that it's too much, and that Nintendo is squeezing every penny from us, knowing it's the one game everyone will want at launch. Add another set of Joy-Con controllers for multiplayer, and that's another $90. Want to play with friends from around the world? A non-inexpensive Nintendo Online membership is required. It all adds up, and when the reveal trailer emphasized 24-player co-op and the ability to roam around its world with friends, using new GameChat and photo mode features, it's hard not to feel a bit cynical.

Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery

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On the flip side, it's argued that Mario Kart World offers good value for money in terms of dollars to hours of enjoyment. Given that it's likely to be the only Mario Kart game on the Nintendo Switch 2, following Mario Kart 8's decade-long lifespan, is $80 a fair price for a game that will provide years of enjoyment? In an era where free-to-play games like Fortnite are common, have our perceptions of value for money been skewed? Someone who plays Fortnite as much as a Mario Kart player over five years might easily spend $80 on battle passes and skins. While these are different types of games, when a family cinema trip can easily cost $80 for two hours of entertainment, a decade of Mario Kart doesn't seem unreasonable.

Granted, Donkey Kong Bananza is priced at a more reasonable $69.99, suggesting that Nintendo might be leveraging the popularity of Mario Kart to justify its higher price. However, this sets a worrying precedent, especially with the Switch 2 versions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom also costing $80. This strategy is baffling for a company like Nintendo, known for being player-first and generous. It raises concerns about whether other game publishers will follow suit with these inflated prices. GTA 6, we're watching you. This also brings attention to how future generational leaps in consoles will handle the cost of upgrading older games.

PlayStation has been offering $10 upgrades for some PS4 games to PS5, with Days Gone doing the same later this month. The price for enhanced versions of Switch games on the Switch 2 remains undisclosed. If it matches Sony's $10 charge for improved frame rates, higher resolution in 4K, and additional gameplay, it won't likely cause much uproar. But if it's $20 or $30, many might hesitate to invest in these upgrades.

For instance, you can currently buy Tears of the Kingdom on Amazon for $52, which is $28 less than the Switch 2 edition. Surely the upgrade won't be that much? The difference is even more pronounced in the UK, where it's currently £45 for the Switch version but £75 for the Switch 2. The MSRP for the original Switch version of TOTK is $70, so does this mean the upgrade will be just $10? If so, why not buy a Switch copy from Amazon and then get the upgrade pack for another $10, saving nearly $20?

This is all speculative, but the only indicator we have so far is that the enhanced versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are available through a Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack membership, which costs $49.99 a year. Assuming the price doesn't rise in the next two months (though I wouldn't be surprised if it does—Netflix now charges me $4 million and the soul of my firstborn just to watch Love is Blind), an upgraded Zelda as part of that isn't a bad deal. But what happens if I cancel my membership? Do I have to revert to playing at 1080p with slightly framey Zelda until I resubscribe? These are questions that need answers.

Finally, the decision to charge for the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is perhaps the most baffling. This virtual exhibition filled with minigames feels like a hardware pack-in, something you'd expect to be free upon first booting up a new console. Astro's Playroom came free with all PlayStation 5s and was a generous platformer that both evoked Nintendo's brand of invention and celebrated PlayStation history while welcoming the new console. It seemed like Sony learned from Nintendo and Wii Sports, whereas the Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels like Nintendo adopting Sony's borderline arrogance during the expensive PS3 launch.

I don't think the Switch 2 will be a step backward for Nintendo like Sony's jump into the high-definition generation was. It has enough forward momentum and goodwill from the original Switch, not to mention its vast library of games, to falter significantly. The Switch 2 console itself looks like an impressive, if somewhat safe, improvement on what's come before. The games we've seen so far largely look great, with many more to come, I'm sure (Mario, come on, mate). I just hope Nintendo doesn't get too greedy and learns from the instant backlash over the cost of some of its launch offerings. No one wants $80 to become the new standard price for video games, so let's hope Nintendo doesn't make that a reality.

Does the cost of the Switch 2 and its accompanying games, upgrades, and peripherals completely overshadow the reveal? Not quite for me. But it certainly didn't result in the universal success that Nintendo hoped it would be.