With the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, Nintendo surprised fans quite a bit: The console successor will be released in just a few weeks. Pre-orders are also now possible.
The console price alone caused astonishment – not necessarily in a positive sense: Nintendo itself asked for 509,99 euros for the bundle of the Nintendo Switch 2, including Mario Kart World. Critical voices quickly arose on social media. Fans stated that they would not buy the console at launch and hoped for discounts. However, this is already a problem. Nintendo's consoles and software are still relatively stable in price compared to competing products, even after many years. Nintendo Switch 2, something similar is to be expected, so while you can wait for discounts, you shouldn't rely on anything happening in terms of prices in the medium term.
That the Nintendo Switch Industry experts had predicted, and fans had factored in, that the Nintendo Switch would be more expensive, possibly even significantly more expensive. Increased costs for materials, logistics, and manufacturing ultimately forced Nintendo to raise the price of the console. Even though Nintendo broke the €2 barrier with its own offering, the overall increase was comparatively moderate.
Industry insiders initially expected prices between €400 and €450 – the console is now available for pre-order without a game for just under €470. While that's more than expected, it's still manageable for a console that's likely to have a life cycle of several years. However, it does offer significantly improved technology, which, in terms of sheer power, may not match high-performance consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, and certainly not the PS5 Pro, but still represents a significant leap forward for Nintendo fans. 4K resolution at up to 120 FPS is impressive, especially when it comes to action-packed games.
Prices for games are receiving significantly more criticism
However, the criticism from fans is much more severe regarding the pricing of the games for Nintendo Switch 2. Anyone who had previously feared that Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto 6 could reach the 90 euro mark for a video game, apparently didn't count on Nintendo. Mario Kart World, for example, is already supposed to cost 79,99 euros in the digital version, and anyone who wants the physical version will apparently have to pay 89,99 euros. That's not going over well at all."
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This development isn't entirely surprising, however. Prices for the current console generation have already risen significantly, sometimes as high as €80. Nintendo has ultimately simply adapted its pricing to the market environment. However, having to pay more still doesn't appeal to many fans – which is entirely understandable given generally rising costs that make it painful to reach into the wallet. At the same time, however, this same price spiral has also been experienced by game developers and console manufacturers.
Some fans point to the prices of games during the German Mark era. Even back then, games cost a lot of money – The Legend of Zelda for the SNES or FIFA actually cost around 120 to 130 German Marks, and some titles even cost around 150 German Marks. Almost a quarter of a century later, game development costs have multiplied, while prices have risen rather moderately, at least in comparison, and even remained constant for many years. Only in recent years have publishers adjusted their pricing strategies – seemingly to the detriment of fans. Ultimately, it's not quite that simple, because the truth is also that games sell significantly more often today than they did two decades ago. This, in turn, increases publishers' revenue and could therefore make games cheaper per copy – theoretically. However, because companies want to maximize their profits, considerations of fair pricing rarely play a role. Economic factors can hardly be ignored in such discussions. The inflation rate in Japan over the past ten years alone should have caused prices to rise significantly anyway.
How will fans deal with the higher prices? Some are considering buying fewer games and playing their titles for longer. Many fans, however, simply assume that they'll get used to it. If €90 is the new €70 for their favorite games, they'll probably just accept it – or wait for discounts. These will likely occur more frequently and more quickly in the gaming sector than in the hardware sector. It's also unclear how much third-party providers will increase prices.
Ultimately, the market will determine how publishers react. If success and revenue aren't forthcoming, something will have to change. However, if players accept the new framework, that would also be a signal.
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