This week the Nintendo Switch 2 was unveiled, and with it the price. The console itself is on the higher end of the predictions, but it’s the games that have surprised many, with Mario Kart World costing $80 as a stand alone game. Tears of the Kingdom came out in 2023 as a $70, so with Nintendo jumping up to the $80 mark in 2025, what is that going to mean for the next Zelda game a few years away. Today I want to discuss the prospect of $100 games, plus have a discussion about the price of Nintendo Switch 2 and it’s games.

If you enjoy the video then subscribe for more Zelda content here on Triforce Times. Stick around to the end of the video for comments from the community, and make sure to add your comments to this video, as I want to hear what you think about the price of gaming in 2025.

Why are we talking about the price of games this week? Well, Nintendo unveiled their new console on Wednesday April 2nd 2025, and one crucial piece of information was missing from their Switch 2 Direct, and that was the price of the console, games, and upgrades to Switch 2 Editions. Before the Switch 2 Direct we had been talking about $350, $400 and $450 for the base console, and the actual price ended up being on the higher end of the scale, especially in the US, UK and Europe.

The console is more expensive than we’d hoped, but it’s the games that have really caused plenty of feedback to be sent in Nintendo’s direction. The price of Nintendo Switch 2 games isn’t a simple formula either, as there are different prices for different games.

Mario Kart World is $80 if you buy the game separate from the console, but if you get the Mario Kart World bundle with the Switch that takes the price down to about $50. Donkey Kong Bananza is $70, which is a similar price to Tears of the Kingdom when that launched on Switch 1 back in 2023. As far as I can remember Tears of the Kingdom was the only Switch 1 game costing $70, and it feels like we’ve only just started getting used to that price, with games being $60 for many years before.

Then we have Switch 2 Edition games. These are existed Nintendo Switch games with upgrades and potentially more content, which explains the differing price. Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition is $70, compared to $60 when it launched on the Switch 1. For that extra $10 we’re going to get upgraded graphics and performance. Tears of the Kingdom will cost $80, similar to Mario Mart World, you’ll also get upgraded graphics and peformance here too. Nintendo haven’t yet confirmed the price of individual upgrade packs if you already own the game, but the estimate is somewhere between $10-$20. Mario Party Jamboree Switch 2 Edition and Kirby and the Forgotten Land cost $80, however, they are both getting more content.

We don’t have enough information yet to know what the standard price for Switch 2 games will be. It’s likely to be $70 standard and $80 for some games, perhaps this cost will be reserved for the biggest Nintendo titles. We’ll have to keep an eye on Metroid Prime 4 and see how much that costs.

The reaction from fans has been pretty strong. This was clearly demonstrated during the Treehouse Live this week where Nintendo staff were playing through many of the games shown in the Switch 2 Direct and the chat was full of people saying “DROP THE PRICE” over and over and over. I think Nintendo heard the feedback loud and clear.

Then, something else happened, nothing related to video games, but the impact of this event will be felt throughout the world for the next few years. On the very same day as the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, Trump unveiled his tarifs. There’s a baseline 10% tarif on all countries, with select countries being hit even harder. Looking at Nintendo’s pricing, I think they tried to build in some resilience against these tarifs. Nintendo anticipated Trump’s tarifs on China by moving their manufacturing to Vietnam and Cambodia. This move backfired though as Trump unveiled tarifs of 45% on Vietnam, 34% on China and 49% on Cambodia. In a statement shared with GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain, Nintendo stated pre-orders in the US – which were scheduled to go live on 9th April – will now be delayed “in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions”. Those asking in the Treehouse Live for the prices to drop are going to be sorely dissappointed, prices are highly likely to go up even more than before.

It’s been a whirlwind week, highs and lows. Let’s bring it back to The Legend of Zelda, and I want to start by looking at the price of Zelda games over the years.

• The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo Entertainment System) 1986 $49.99
• A Link To The Past (Super Nintendo) 1992 $49.99
• Ocarina of Time (N64) 1998 $59.99
• Wind Waker (Gamecube) 2002 $49.99
• Twilight Princess (Wii) 2006 $49.99
• Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch) 2017 $59.99
• Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch) 2023 $69.99
• Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch 2) 2025 $69.99
• Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo Switch 2) 2025 $79.99

It seems like we’re on an upward trajectory since 2017. Game prices stayed relatively static from 1986 – 2017, games were about $50 for 30 years. This may contribute to why we feel games are expensive, they stayed roughly the same price for so long. Plenty has changed since then, technology has changed, it’s become more expensive to make games, plus there are other external factors at play.

Nintendo have broken the barrier with the $80 price tag for Mario Kart World. Now they have done this, I can only wonder what GTA 6 VI is going to cost. I hope it won’t be, but I think it’s going to be around the $100 mark. Both Mario Kart World and GTA VI are going to sell millions and millions of copies. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 67 million copies so far. Nintendo games don’t tend to go down in price, it’s still selling for $55 today. That means Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has made roughly three billion, six hundred eighty-five million dollars, not taking into account rare Nintendo sales. Looking at the price of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe today $55 and Mario Kart World $80, that’s a 45% increase.

What does this all mean for the next Zelda game, which will probably release in 2028. If Mario Kart World is priced $80 in 2025, and the next Zelda game comes out in 2028 or 2029, then we could be looking at $100 Zelda on Switch 2. Breath of the Wild was $60 in 2017 and Tears of the Kingdom for Switch 2 is $80 in 2025. That’s an increase of 33% in that time. If prices continue to rise as a similar rate, then $100 is likely.

We’ll have to wait and see what the industry does in the next year or so. Given everything that’s going on in the world right now, everything is going to go up in price. Nintendo may have been caught in the storm this week, but everything else is about to go up in price.

Next up, I’m going to check in on some community comments. I put the question out to the Triforce Times community and got a great response this week as always.

Community Comments

What do you think of the price of Switch 2 games? If Tears of the Kingdom for Switch 1 Edition cost $70 and Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition costs $80, what is the next Zelda game going to cost?

@nickdee5764
Games are my hobby so I have to do the math. Eighty dollars for a game I’m going to spend thousands of hours playing is a pretty good deal.

@universal1771
Ridiculous anyone paying 80 for an old Zelda game is crazy. I truly hope most people don’t pay.

@MartKart8
Could you show the UK prices, I find a lot of people are repeating the same content prices.

@zacharyvinson6916
I already have it on switch. I’ll buy the switch 2 when there’s a new 3D Zelda

@Romulus879
Everything has got more expensive last years. So the prices aren’t surprising for me.
I think they are okay in general. I understand why people are complaining about it, but in my opinion the prices aren‘t unfair.

I guess the next 3D Zelda will cost 80$ and the next topdown Zelda 70$

@Cosmosis-86
I feel the price for the console is ok but feel that the games are expensive.
Sure, they are still ok compared to $100 games back in the 1990’s BUT there are more gamers these days, so I think games should be AU$90 and no more than AU$100 …..
Sure these prices may or may not change over the course of the Switch 2s life span, maybe 8 years…
I think that’s why Nintendo hardly ever drop prices on consoles and games… the release value decreases over time.

@GusherManX
80 is too much for a Mario kart game.
They would probably sell twice as many at 60usd. That, I would pay for. Physical that is, and not just a download key, so the system bundle doesn’t work.
Even for botw and totk, I waited until I found them less than 40 on marketplace.
But since I only really buy n systems for Zelda, I’ll be waiting a few years anyway

@OmegaFox09
Ridiculous pricing

@GamingReinvented
Well, I’d be more worried if the upgrade option wasn’t there for Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2. Paying full price for those games with minor improvements would be an “oh hell no” moment for me, but paying 10 quid or so for the upgrade is fine.

As for the inevitable new game at that price? Eh, hard to say. 80 dollars feels hard to justify for any game, but 70 is probably just about fine if it’s the next big 3D Zelda adventure with an all-new world, art style, engine, characters and enemies, etc. But if they start saying everything is that price (including minorly changed remasters, Hyrule Warriors games, other spinoffs, etc), then I’d have to serious debate whether that amount would be worth paying.

@nickdee5764
Games are my hobby so I have to do the math. Eighty dollars for a game I’m going to spend thousands of hours playing is a pretty good deal.

@darkdragonmedeus705
If you own a Switch 1 copy and subscribed to NSO + Expansion, the graphics and framerate updates are free. Also, most Nintendo Switch games are free upgraded altogether. The 10 dollars more is mostly for online features like downloading other player’s creations and Zelda Note app. Which again, is free for NSOE members.

20 dollars more has already been the standard for DLC expanded stories as ween seen with newer Fire Emblem and Xenoblade titles. Which is the reason for Kirby and Mario Party’s 20 dollar upgrades is the Switch 2 exclusive DLC.

I think all this is fair game except for Mario Kart World. But 30 dollar discount for the bundle is also reasonable. I think Switch 2 system price is fair too.

@cullenmuir2707
Unfortunately it looks like we’ll be wishing the Switch 2 only cost $450.00.

@pizzamech3000
piracy

@TheRealPSKilla502
Too much. I’m not buying a NS2 until I see a new 3D LoZ with real dungeons that’s not BotW-related. Until then, I’ll enjoy MP4 on my NS1.

@aetherial87
Doesn’t bug me. I don’t buy enough games per year for it to be an issue.

@TheGeekApprentice
Unbothered. I can’t afford it, but games are a luxury. If the price of living has gone up why should I expect this to be any different? They have to earn money too. I’ll get it once I can save up. It’s not the end of the world.

Let me know what you think in the comments.