Starting from May with the release of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, digital versions of Nintendo-published Switch 2 exclusives are set to be cheaper than their physical counterparts. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is now set to cost $69.99 for physical copies, with digital buyers saving $10 at $59.99. Though this is new for US audiences, it should be noted that this has been the case since the system launch in the UK, EU, and Japan. For comparison, Mario Kart World retails for £74.99 physically, with the digital version being £66.99. Similarly, the recently released Pokemon Pokopia retails for £66.99 physically, with the digital version being £58.99.

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[purple_bandit]

Should have been an industry standard like.... 15 years ago

 

[RyanTheArchivist]

Should have been an industry standard like.... 15 years ago

That was actually a huge marketing reason for digital games back then. They said it would make them all cheaper. Then it didnt.

 

[Xzi]

That was actually a huge marketing reason for digital games back then. They said it would make them all cheaper. Then it didnt.

Eh, less so in the last five-ish years, but Steam traditionally had games priced cheaper than console versions. Prices still fall quicker, and third-party key sites will net you 15% off or so on new games.

 

[MPRTwice]

Should have been an industry standard like.... 15 years ago

wouldn't that be giving the new world order too much credit?

 

[nWo]

Well, I expected a bit more "cheaper" but well, I guess it's a start? I won't hold my breath, though.

 

[Kingofknights]

The way I see it, digital games are not getting cheaper. Physical games are just getting more expensive.

and that's also what people have asked for as well. The "I don't mind paying extra for the privilege of getting everything on cart". Let's see those people put their money where their mouth is.

 

[RedBlueGreen]

Yay the multibillion dollar company is doing the thing they should've been doing in the first place.

I'm gonna guess this has to do with the fact that $80 games are expensive as hell for people who have expenses so surprising nobody games sales have slowed.

switch 2 sales aren't going well. lmao https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...tch-2-output-by-over-30-on-weak-holiday-sales

rest in piss modern greedy nintendo.

It's almost as if $500 for a glorified tablet is outrageous. What's funny to me is the first party games I've tried on Switch 2 could absolutely run on the Switch 1 at a lower resolution and framerate. Cross gen releases/backports with cross play would really help then they could slow that down as producing the Switch 2 become cheaper in time and drop the price so people will actually buy it, because most people I know aren't buying it because of the price.

I know that won't happen because post-Iwata Nintendo is greedy as hell

 

[NinStar]

"Digital versions should be cheaper than physical versions!"

**Nintendo makes digital versions cheaper**

"Nintendo is so stupid!"

This is somewhat dishonest, their games used to be $59 physical and digital, then they increased it to $69~79, and now they are making the exception for games to be sold at $59 again, but only for the digital version.

This is not what people mean when they say digital should be cheaper, and you know that. Because the physical versions shouldn't be costing $60+ to begin with.

 

[Moogley]

People really pissed off about this? Hopefully the other 2 will see this and do the same. Digital should be cheaper full stop. I can find physical cheaper day one.

Digital SHOULD be cheaper, but it doesn't count if you raise the price of physical to $70-80 so the digital games can be "cheaper" at $60, which is what they should cost to begin with.

Cheaper would have been, we don't have to import digital copies, no boxes, no plastic, so here's Yoshi baby book game for $39.99. If you want the physical, you pay full price. This isn't that.

 

[ertaboy356b]

"Digital versions should be cheaper than physical versions!"

**Nintendo makes digital versions cheaper**

"Nintendo is so stupid!"

It can also be rephrased as "Our digital price stays as-is, our physical price will increase."

 

[DiscostewSM]

This is somewhat dishonest, their games used to be $59 physical and digital, then they increased it to $69~79, and now they are making the exception for games to be sold at $59 again, but only for the digital version.

This is not what people mean when they say digital should be cheaper, and you know that. Because the physical versions shouldn't be costing $60+ to begin with.

Games on Sony and MS platforms used to be $60 too, then they increased them to $70+. But they have not made an exception for games to be sold at $60 again for digital. $70 has been the norm for almost 5 years now with those companies, and those games use cheap discs for physical media that require installation. Nintendo with the Switch 1 & 2, however, uses cards with solid-state memory modules that are still fast enough for loading without installation. But just like cartridges of old, they are not cheap. So what's with this notion that Nintendo physical games shouldn't be $60+ to begin with? I think maybe you should take a lesson in history instead of letting entitlement dictate your choice of words.

And as it is, development costs are rising. Don't ignore the numerous layoffs and studio shutdowns happening. Companies would be ecstatic to be in Nintendo's shoes to even have the option to drop the price of one form of media and still be able to keep the lights on.

It can also be rephrased as "Our digital price stays as-is, our physical price will increase."

Except, we already have confirmation that physical prices are not increasing. Maybe you haven't read through the thread all the way to hit that point.

 

[raxadian]

Starting from May with the release of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, digital versions of Nintendo-published Switch 2 exclusives are set to be cheaper than their physical counterparts.

It took until 2026 for Nintendo to do this? Wow what a bunch of greedy jerks.

 

[DiscostewSM]

It took until 2026 for Nintendo to do this? Wow what a bunch of greedy jerks.

I guess you think Sony and MS are even worse, right?

 

[Moogley]

I just came to see Nintendo haters crying and raging at the fact Nintendo did what they asked them to do.

They JUST raised the base price to $70-80, not even a year ago. Your memory cannot be that short-lived.

We asked them to sell digital games cheaper, not to raise the price of physical so that normal-priced digital games now seem "cheaper." There's no way you think that's the same thing.

Either this is good trolling or bad mic dropping. So hard to tell these days.

 

[DiscostewSM]

They JUST raised the base price to $70-80, not even a year ago. Your memory cannot be that short-lived.

We asked them to sell digital games cheaper, not to raise the price of physical so that normal-priced digital games now seem "cheaper." There's no way you think that's the same thing.

Either this is good trolling or bad mic dropping. So hard to tell these days.

They were the last to jump to the $70 norm that began almost 5 years prior. If you want to place blame, point the finger at Sony, MS, and numerous other 3rd-parties. Are you complaining how digital isn't cheaper on those platforms? Or is this a hate-on-Nintendo thing?

 

[ertaboy356b]

Except, we already have confirmation that physical prices are not increasing. Maybe you haven't read through the thread all the way to hit that point.

Haven't read the thread but isn't there a rumor that fortune's weave will be $70 digital and $80 physical? I guess we will soon find out.

 

[Jayro]

People really pissed off about this? Hopefully the other 2 will see this and do the same. Digital should be cheaper full stop. I can find physical cheaper day one.

I can buy physical in Oregon with no tax and 10% off, but that's about the extent of me getting any kind of savings.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Haven't read the thread but isn't there a rumor that fortune's weave will be $70 digital and $80 physical? I guess we will soon find out.

I wouldn't put too much credit in rumors when they lack any substantial evidence. We just recently had that article about Nintendo lowering production of Switch 2 by 30%, but it's by the same guy who not only is known to be unreliable, but Nintendo themselves had to shoot back at one particular article to call them out on their false claims (the 4K Switch). This latest production reduction article even said they can't name the names of those providing that information. It's a good bet that those people don't exist as it's been heavily used these days by "journalists" that have pushed sensationalism...

 

[ChronosNotashi]

Haven't read the thread but isn't there a rumor that fortune's weave will be $70 digital and $80 physical? I guess we will soon find out.

Just a rumor at this point, with nothing concrete to back it up.

And to bring you up to speed: it's been clarified by a statement from Nintendo that they're not increasing the price of physical games. What's happening is that the MSRP for digital games will be lower than physical releases (by USD ~$10), starting with the upcoming Yoshi game (which is confirmed to be USD $59.99 digital / $69.99 physical, and won't be a Game Key Card). Which, ironically enough, will bring U.S. Switch 2 game pricing more in line with other regions that have the same physical/digital price differences.

That said, this will only apply to titles directly published by Nintendo (and physical titles sold through Nintendo's webstore, such as the aforementioned Yoshi game). Third parties and retail partners will set their own prices, so those may vary. And it goes without saying, but, for obvious reasons, they can't control any physical/digital game pricing for games on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC/Steam/EGS.

 

[DiscostewSM]

Which, ironically enough, will bring U.S. Switch 2 game pricing more in line with other regions that have the same physical/digital price differences.

That was something I was going to get around to mentioning. What we have here are folks complaining about wanting the price of digital to drop, only to complain when it did, having spoken nothing about wanting equality with the other regions as if they have no clue about what's going on outside of the US. If they had taken notice, then we would have had questions like "why is it like this here, but not there?"

Just a theory, but it could have been because of the tariffs. Not strictly against digital because there is no tariffs on digital media to my knowledge, but physical definitely is affected, which already has to deal with a higher cost of game card media. To have them the same price until now may have been to balance it out. That instead of throwing the tax onto physical to make that more expensive, they instead threw it onto digital.

Just recently, we are finding out Nintendo is gaining some ground on the lawsuit against the US government over those tariffs. That could be what grants Nintendo the means to bring those digital prices down to what they wanted in the first place, to match what they are doing in other regions. Physical will stay as they are, because again, those cards are not cheap, but they won't be hit as hard in the pocket as before.

Again, it's just a theory, so take it as you will. Even if it wasn't the case, regardless, it's better to think about these things rationally than letting emotion take the wheel.