The Switch 2 price gave gamers sticker shock, but some fans think they can strong-arm Nintendo into slashing it.
Unveiled during a mammoth livestream on Wednesday — which quickly racked up over 5 million views on YouTube — the Switch 2 will cost £396 in the UK, a steep 41 per cent jump from the original Switch’s £280 launch price.
Alongside the premium hardware, Nintendo is also hiking the price of games. Splashy launch title, Mario Kart World, will cost £75 for the physical version. That’s £15 more than Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on the original Switch and £5 more than recent blockbuster Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
It’s safe to say gamers aren’t pleased about the markups. Outrage is brewing on social media, with some fans rallying behind a simple plan: boycott the Switch 2. The rationale is that if enough people hold off, Nintendo will have no choice but to lower the price to something more reasonable.
Will it work? Supporters point to the Nintendo 3DS as proof that pressure can pay off. After sluggish sales at launch in 2011 — blamed on its steep $250 price tag, a weak game lineup, and concerns over its 3D effects — Nintendo slashed the price to $170 just months later.
Like its predecessor, the Switch 2 is a hybrid device that can be played on TVs and on the go
The discount turned out to be a massive catalyst for the flailing handheld. Sales surged by 260 per cent in less than three weeks.
“Sales made them drop the 3DS price,” said a user on Reddit. “We can do it again, vote with your wallets don't buy it for the sake of buying it.”
“I hope they get a lot of backlash so they get back to their senses,” chimed in another.
“Switch 2 was the first console I was going to buy with my own money as a fresh adult, not anymore. I hope this thing crashes and fails like the 3DS before Nintendo dropped the price,” wrote a Redditor in the same thread.
“I have a sneaking suspicion we’ll see a 3DS situation with price cuts very quickly. Currently it’s way too expensive,” commented another user.
Nintendo also drew scorn for charging for enhanced versions of older games optimised for the Switch 2. Frustrated gamers also pointed out that a game demo designed to showcase the new console’s features wasn’t free — unlike Sony’s Astro’s Playroom, which came bundled with every PS5 at no extra cost.
Nintendo shakes up game pricing with £75 Mario Kart World
Nintendo shakes up game pricing with £75 Mario Kart World
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Nintendo Switch 2 games revealed and their release dates
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Everything you need to know about the Nintendo Switch 2
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Whether online outrage reflects the mood in the broader gaming community is unclear. For every frustrated fan, plenty are still hyped for the console. In fact, early projections suggest this could be Nintendo’s biggest console launch yet, with 8 million units expected to be snapped up on the first day.