Digital Nintendo-published titles to be cheaper than physical releases going forwards

raxadian · Mar 26, 2026

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

Every other company already makes the digital versions of their games cheaper, even EA. The fact it took Nintendo so long is ridiculous.

ChronosNotashi · Mar 26, 2026

raxadian said:
Every other company already makes the digital versions of their games cheaper, even EA.

Really? So you're saying I'm hallucinating when I see Monster Hunter Stories 3 for USD $69.99 digital in the Playstation 5 store and Steam, with the physical copies being the exact same price at retail? Doesn't seem to me like they "already make the digital versions of their games cheaper" if I can't get Monster Hunter Stories 3 for USD $50 on Steam Day 1.

JayPea · Mar 26, 2026

raxadian said:
Every other company already makes the digital versions of their games cheaper, even EA. The fact it took Nintendo so long is ridiculous.

Please consider these two links

ChronosNotashi · Mar 26, 2026

JayPea said:
Please consider these two links

Oh my god, that's just hilarious. And also shows how poorly the PS5 version of Wilds sold if the physical version ended up that low.

Axido · Mar 26, 2026

Kingofknights said:
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.

I have no idea who those imaginary people are, but I personally prefer physical games because I can buy them used or in sales for a reasonable price not dictated by Nintendo. Paying extra for them is the exact opposote of what I'd do.

Though, making them even more expensive than digital ones won't make me buy more digital games. I'd rather boycott that company altogether for being this scummy.

RAHelllord · Mar 26, 2026

I wonder how much of this is because Nintendo is struggling to sell the switch 2 at all. From what I've read they're also slowing down production quite significantly already.

DiscostewSM · Mar 26, 2026

RAHelllord said:
I wonder how much of this is because Nintendo is struggling to sell the switch 2 at all. From what I've read they're also slowing down production quite significantly already.

The guy that wrote that article is known for making false claims, even to the point where Nintendo themselves had to call them out on one occasion (regarding a 4k Switch). This latest article has a number of reputable people calling them out, at least one that is not known to do that sort of thing. So you know they are getting serious about this fake stuff.

Bagel Le Stinky · Mar 26, 2026

Hopefully they reduce the price of already released switch 2 games digitally

bonkmaykr · Mar 26, 2026

Don't see how anyone could be mad about this.

When you buy at the store you are also buying a storage device. The hardware is not free. It makes perfect logical sense for them to be more expensive than when you use your own hardware. There's no reason a file off the internet should be the same price.

You don't own the cartridges. There's DRM on them too, they aren't special. If you can't copy them, you can't share them. The originals will eventually die.

Noctosphere said:
it's called the "you own nothing" tax. Pay less for the digital, and pay more for physical (physical games, not that "key card" crap) that you can play years after the eshop is discontinued.

The game doesn't just stop working when the eshop closes...

EmanueleBGN · Mar 26, 2026

They didn't reduce digital titles prices, they increased physical titles prices

raxadian · Mar 26, 2026

RAHelllord said:
I wonder how much of this is because Nintendo is struggling to sell the switch 2 at all. From what I've read they're also slowing down production quite significantly already.

Rise prices but charge digital games the old prize ,call it a discount.

lordelan · Mar 26, 2026

Well, 60 bucks instead of 70 bucks is still 60 bucks.

The Real Jdbye · Mar 26, 2026

Pretty sure this has always been the case here. But now that it's official, maybe the pricing difference will be bigger.
I get 10% off all physical console games at the electronics store, so assuming they actually stock the game at launch (which isn't a given) physical has ended up roughly the same price as digital.
So there really hasn't been much reason to go digital. But I do buy primarily multiplayer games digital anyways, because they're games I always come back to I can just leave the single player game I'm playing in the slot and not have to swap cartridges frequently.

AlexMCS · Mar 26, 2026

Great news!I have been "all digital" since the PS3 in 2006, with very few exceptions.
I CBA to waste my very scarce physical space with game cases, not to mention shuffling through them to find a certain game.

As long as I can support the devs/publishers and get my gaming going, I'm good.
As for "not owning" the games, well, that's what piracy is for!
Gotta have those Fitgirl/GoG releases on an external HD+cloud.

I love piracy and emulation! Thanks for preserving my purchases potentially for eternity, since even physical media degrades.
That said, I gotta buy another external HD, since my current one is kinda old and is getting filled (8 TB is not much after all).

Lumstar · Mar 26, 2026

raxadian said:
Every other company already makes the digital versions of their games cheaper, even EA. The fact it took Nintendo so long is ridiculous.

Indies sure. Those limited print "boutique" publishers charge more than digital.

NinStar · Mar 26, 2026

DiscostewSM said:
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.

They don't pay anywhere near what you might be thinking to produce the cartridges, they could easily afford to take the cost of those. It doesn't justify 60+ because 60 is already a totally arbitrary MSRP. No reason to feel defensive about one or the other, be it Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony or other big company, they are all in the wrong when it comes to game prices because they know they can get away with it.

DiscostewSM said:
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.

You say this while Nintendo has one of the lowest costs of production in the industry (among big corporations that is), so this argument can easily go the other way around.

Lumstar · Mar 26, 2026

NinStar said:
They don't pay anywhere near what you might be thinking to produce the cartridges, they could easily afford to take the cost of those. It doesn't justify 60+ because 60 is already a totally arbitrary MSRP. No reason to feel defensive about one or the other, be it Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony or other big company, they are all in the wrong when it comes to game prices because they know they can get away with it.

You say this while Nintendo has one of the lowest costs of production in the industry (among big corporations that is), so this argument can easily go the other way around.

People take for granted that the average retail price of games today is actually LESS than it was in the 1970s, in spite of the colossal rise in production values (visuals, sound, acting...)

Moogley · Mar 26, 2026

DiscostewSM said:
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?

I'm not complaining about that, because digital IS cheaper on those platforms. Clearly. $70 games are going on sale for $20-$40 constantly. I can buy Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80) RIGHT NOW for $40. Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition? $80. It will always be $80.

On those platforms, $70 is just the Day 1 price. Nintendo wants to make it the everyday price by artificially inflating their value through a lack of sales. Nintendo's approach is obviously different; I don't know why that's such a debatable thing.

DiscostewSM · Mar 26, 2026

NinStar said:
They don't pay anywhere near what you might be thinking to produce the cartridges, they could easily afford to take the cost of those. It doesn't justify 60+ because 60 is already a totally arbitrary MSRP. No reason to feel defensive about one or the other, be it Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony or other big company, they are all in the wrong when it comes to game prices because they know they can get away with it.

You say this while Nintendo has one of the lowest costs of production in the industry (among big corporations that is), so this argument can easily go the other way around.

It's already been estimated that the cards are around $15 each to produce.

Moogley said:
I'm not complaining about that, because digital IS cheaper on those platforms. Clearly. $70 games are going on sale for $20-$40 constantly. I can buy Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80) RIGHT NOW for $40. Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition? $80. It will always be $80.

On those platforms, $70 is just the Day 1 price. Nintendo wants to make it the everyday price by artificially inflating their value through a lack of sales. Nintendo's approach is obviously different; I don't know why that's such a debatable thing.

Sales are not the MSRP, nor permanent discounts.

Moogley · Mar 26, 2026

DiscostewSM said:
Sales are not the MSRP, nor permanent discounts.

Yes, that's true. But when games go on 50% discounts 4-6 times per year, you can't say that shop has the same consumer ethos as one where they go on 50% discounts 0-0 times per year.

$70 Sony games gauge streamers, reviewers, and impatient FOMO chasers. I've NEVER paid full price for a Sony game. $70 Nintendo games gauge everyone. The only way to save money is to buy used physical copies.

Oh, and they just created a $10 incentive to have fewer physical copies in the wild, didn't they. How about that.

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