Switch 2 Hasn't Raised Prices, But Analysts Say You're Already Spending More

Nintendo didn't raise prices directly, but the money has already left your pocket.

Industry analyst Matthew Ball told The Game Business something quite interesting. The Switch 2 base model sits at $449.99 — price unchanged. But Nintendo quietly discontinued the Mario Kart World bundle in late 2025. That bundle was originally $499.99, saving buyers around $30 compared to purchasing separately.

The kicker: 85% of Switch 2 buyers end up purchasing Mario Kart World separately anyway. Pull the bundle, and you've effectively handed most players a price hike. The console page looks the same, but everyone's actually paying more. Clever move, honestly.

Then there's storage. A game like Final Fantasy VII Remake can eat up over a third of the built-in storage on its own. And with AI data center construction driving up NAND flash prices, MicroSD Express expansion cards have gotten pricier too — without one, you can barely fit a handful of games.

Ball also predicts that Nintendo, looking to pad margins, will likely follow Sony's playbook with PS Plus and raise Nintendo Switch Online membership fees as well.

So what does a Switch 2 actually cost you? Console + game + expansion card + membership — add it up yourself. The receipt is the unfunny part.