As you know, the Switch 2, is on the way! The excitement is palpable. But beyond the flashy next-gen hardware upgrades and features, there’s a different conversation brewing—game pricing. With Mario Kart World launching at a whopping $79.99, we have to ask: Will third-party developers win big on Nintendo’s own system?
For a long time, Nintendo’s first-party games have been the main draw of their consoles. If you wanted the latest Zelda, Smash Bros., or Mario Kart, you knew the price would stay firm—sometimes forever. Unlike other publishers, Nintendo is famous for keeping their games at full price for years, rarely offering discounts. But now, with a potential $20 price gap between Nintendo’s biggest games and major third-party titles, the playing field might be changing.
Think about it—if you’re an average gamer balancing bills, rent, and life’s expenses, that extra $10 to $20 per game matters. A lot. Some players will still shell out for Nintendo’s exclusives, no question. But for others, that price gap might make third-party titles the go-to option. And developers likely know this. If studios like Capcom, Ubisoft, and Square Enix set their prices strategically, they could grab a bigger slice of the market.
Nintendo wouldn't be able to ignore such a thing. Either they’d need to offer more competitive pricing, or find some other way to keep gamers from flocking to third-party alternatives for the most part. Because at the end of the day, money talks. Not everyone can casually spend $80 per game, and if the Switch 2 becomes a third-party haven simply due to affordability, Nintendo might have to rethink its pricing strategy. One things for certain, that would be a win for gamers!
