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

ChronosNotashi · Mar 27, 2026

DiscostewSM said:
Well, we found out before this that Yoshi was going for $60 digital, but had no such confirmation of what it would cost physically. The thing is, this wasn't some last-minute decision to make this split change. This was probably planned weeks, if not months in advance. Other regions were already doing the split since launch. Personally, as I noted in this thread already, I think tariffs were the cause of the initial higher digital price, that instead of letting physical take the brunt of it, they chose to do it to digital to balance it.

Been looking around, and another theory is potentially how much power brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. had to force price parity between physical and digital games in the past. There was a time when there would've been much trouble and complaints from the likes of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and others if Valve or Sony made digital version of games cheaper than physical retail versions. It could've been argued that said actions would've been anti-competitive since they were basically providing permanent discounts/sales for buying digital instead of physical, which would force retailers to lower their prices to compete.

The economic issues caused by COVID and then later the tariffs may have delayed what Nintendo had already been planning to do once brick-and-mortar stores lost their pull with the decline of physical game sales.

LeyendaV · Mar 27, 2026

Moogley said:
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.

Games have been $70-$80 for the entire PS5/XBS generation. Your memory cannot be that selective.

Lumstar · Mar 27, 2026

raxadian said:
They do have sales,even Microsoft and Sony do it. Sega usually puts discounts mere months after a game release.

Nintendo? They keep seven year old games or more at the same prize.

Some games just don't have permanent reductions. Call of Duty Ghosts remains regularly $60 twelve years later.

raxadian · Mar 27, 2026

Lumstar said:
Some games just don't have permanent reductions. Call of Duty Ghosts remains regularly $60 twelve years later.

While true Nintendo used to lower game prices before the Switch 1. And even with the Switch 1 there was ways to get discounts, those ended right before the Switch 2 launch.

Renos44 · Mar 27, 2026

Make sense.
Nand flash price skyrockets and have no sign of coming back down anytime soon. Switch carts become more expensive as a result.

Moogley · Mar 27, 2026

LeyendaV said:
Games have been $70-$80 for the entire PS5/XBS generation. Your memory cannot be that selective.

If I go on the PS Store right now to buy Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80), it's $40. THAT'S how it's been for this entire generation.

If you can't see the difference between 50% off and 10% off, I can't help you. You're not thinking clearly.

DiscostewSM · Mar 27, 2026

Moogley said:
If I go on the PS Store right now to buy Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80), it's $40. THAT'S how it's been for this entire generation.

If you can't see the difference between 50% off and 10% off, I can't help you. You're not thinking clearly.

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP9000-PPSA03016_00-MSM2DDE000000000

Lowest price in last 30 days: $79.99

lol

Let's not kid ourselves. If a game is on sale "all the time", then chances are, it's unable to sell at its non-sale price.

RedBlueGreen · Mar 27, 2026

Xzi said:
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.

It's nice when third party devs release a game with a launch sale too. I think Deadzone Rogue was 20% on launch on Switch 2.

I've occasionally bought some gray market keys too, if a game never goes on sale but it's cheaper on eBay or a reputable third party platform.

Moogley said:
If I go on the PS Store right now to buy Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80), it's $40. THAT'S how it's been for this entire generation.

If you can't see the difference between 50% off and 10% off, I can't help you. You're not thinking clearly.

That's a sale price. It says it right there, but I suppose reading and conveying that information would hurt your narrative.

DiscostewSM · Mar 27, 2026

RedBlueGreen said:
It's nice when third party devs release a game with a launch sale too. I think Deadzone Rogue was 20% on launch on Switch 2.

I've occasionally bought some gray market keys too, if a game never goes on sale but it's cheaper on eBay or a reputable third party platform.

That's a sale price. It says it right there, but I suppose reading and conveying that information would hurt your narrative.

I'm still uncertain if I want to take the dip and get the RE Generation Pack before the end of the month. Haven't had the time to go back to the older games like RE4 to see if I'd be interested in the new ones. I did miss my chance to get the physical on Amazon the other night (shipped/sold by Amazon). It had the listing, but the next morning, it was gone. But even as digital, $90 for the 3 games is a good deal for those interested in it.

TomSwitch · Mar 29, 2026

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 said:
when the next console comes that doesn't support backwards compatibility comes out, said console will probably make digital/physical ports for switch games and below, if not that, the actual next gen console as the switch 2 imo seems like the N3DS in many ways atm, the same cycle as always, though the exact date of this is literally anyones guess

Switch 2 and N3DS is day and night. Switch 2 probably already have more on day one than N3DS for its entire life. I am actually surprised that they didn’t have more dual platform games.

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 · Mar 29, 2026

TomSwitch said:
Switch 2 and N3DS is day and night. Switch 2 probably already have more on day one than N3DS for its entire life. I am actually surprised that they didn’t have more dual
platform games.

it will all depend on how many SW2 exclusives release as right now we have your typical launch line up in terms of quantity which isn't much but still makes sense for how long it's been out, if it keeps releasing exclusives for the next few years or even less i guess the most reasonable comparison would be the WII U, in the sense that it just has current gen games and can directly play last gen titles and not being much different from the last gen console aside from a few bells and whistles.

I primarily said N3DS, not just because of title shenanigans but the extra boost in power, and new minor exclusive features, but yeah i do see your point.

TomSwitch · Mar 29, 2026

ChronoCrossfangirl2002 said:
it will all depend on how many SW2 exclusives release as right now we have your typical launch line up in terms of quantity which isn't much but still makes sense for how long it's been out, if it keeps releasing exclusives for the next few years or even less i guess the most reasonable comparison would be the WII U, in the sense that it just has current gen games and can directly play last gen titles and not being much different from the last gen console aside from a few bells and whistles.

I primarily said N3DS, not just because of title shenanigans but the extra boost in power, and new minor exclusive features, but yeah i do see your point.

I think it was all on Nintendo that resulted in N3DS having almost nothing. Whether it was intended or was big fail I don’t know.

I think Switch 2 is doing well. Buyer who expect new console won’t be too disappointed.

LeyendaV · Mar 29, 2026

Moogley said:
If I go on the PS Store right now to buy Spider-Man 2 Digital Deluxe ($80), it's $40. THAT'S how it's been for this entire generation.

If you can't see the difference between 50% off and 10% off, I can't help you. You're not thinking clearly.

You mean that game has been $40 FOR THE ENTIRE GENERATION SINCE IT WAS RELEASED? Weird, when I checked back on RELEASE DAY the digital copy wasn't $40... Maybe being a fanboy who hates on Nintendo for no reason is disturbing how you remember reality

Moogley · Mar 29, 2026

LeyendaV said:
You mean that game has been $40 FOR THE ENTIRE GENERATION SINCE IT WAS RELEASED? Weird, when I checked back on RELEASE DAY the digital copy wasn't $40... Maybe being a fanboy who hates on Nintendo for no reason is disturbing how you remember reality

... yes? That would be because the MSRP is $80, because that's how the modern industry works ... the MSRP is high, the graphics investment is high, the DRM is high, but the sales are high. So, high, high, high, high.

Nintendo is saying, high MSRP, LOW technology investment, high DRM, LOW sales. See how some of the highs became lows? That's the kind of actual observation that turns "hate" into legitimate criticism, because the lows they picked are the consumer-friendly ones and the highs are the consumer-hostile ones.

Respectfully, I can't help you if you can't tell the difference. Only you can do that.

LeyendaV · Mar 30, 2026

Moogley said:
... yes? That would be because the MSRP is $80, because that's how the modern industry works ... the MSRP is high, the graphics investment is high, the DRM is high, but the sales are high. So, high, high, high, high.

Nintendo is saying, high MSRP, LOW technology investment, high DRM, LOW sales. See how some of the highs became lows? That's the kind of actual observation that turns "hate" into legitimate criticism, because the lows they picked are the consumer-friendly ones and the highs are the consumer-hostile ones.

Respectfully, I can't help you if you can't tell the difference. Only you can do that.

So your "legitimate criticism" is Nintendo should charge less because they "invest less"?

Each of your replies is more stupid than the last one. Are you sure you are even human? I've seen free AI bots with more memory retention than you

TankedThomas · Mar 30, 2026

I wish people could be banned just for sucking off a company so hard. Some of the people in this thread are beyond delusional.
They already increased the price. They're calling this a price cut/discount to act like they're doing you a favour. Surprise: they're not doing you a favour. People are dumb.

By the way, the 4K Switch is real (sort of). The OLED is wired for 4K. It just can't actually output 4K (maybe over Android or Linux, I'm not sure off the top of my head). You even had at least one game (Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door) coded for 4K.
I'd like to see some more Nintendo leaks in the future, because it seems very likely that the "Switch Pro" was a real thing, that for multiple reasons just never came to fruition, and ultimately evolved into the Switch 2.

Anyway, fuck Nintendo, and fuck the people who defend corpo scum. I won't buy a PS5 (even though they're half-off second-hand) and I won't buy a Switch 2. The whataboutism over other companies is stupid - maybe they're just all shit? Ever thought of that, shills? But we're talking about Nintendo here, and Nintendo keeps going from bad to worse.

I'll just leave this here for the idiots who will continue to defend Nintendo as if their honour depends on it:

TomSwitch · Mar 30, 2026

TankedThomas said:
I wish people could be banned just for sucking off a company so hard. Some of the people in this thread are beyond delusional.
They already increased the price. They're calling this a price cut/discount to act like they're doing you a favour. Surprise: they're not doing you a favour. People are dumb.

By the way, the 4K Switch is real (sort of). The OLED is wired for 4K. It just can't actually output 4K (maybe over Android or Linux, I'm not sure off the top of my head). You even had at least one game (Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door) coded for 4K.
I'd like to see some more Nintendo leaks in the future, because it seems very likely that the "Switch Pro" was a real thing, that for multiple reasons just never came to fruition, and ultimately evolved into the Switch 2.

Anyway, fuck Nintendo, and fuck the people who defend corpo scum. I won't buy a PS5 (even though they're half-off second-hand) and I won't buy a Switch 2. The whataboutism over other companies is stupid - maybe they're just all shit? Ever thought of that, shills? But we're talking about Nintendo here, and Nintendo keeps going from bad to worse.

I'll just leave this here for the idiots who will continue to defend Nintendo as if their honour depends on it:
View attachment 565363

Calling people “delusional” or “shills” doesn’t actually strengthen the argument—it just shuts down discussion. It’s completely fair to criticize pricing or business decisions, but acting like anyone who disagrees is “dumb” isn’t a solid position.

On pricing: companies adjust prices all the time based on bundles, regions, or timing. Sometimes it is marketing spin, sure—but that doesn’t automatically mean there’s zero value or that consumers gain nothing. Whether it’s a good deal depends on what’s included and what the buyer actually wants.

On the “4K Switch” point: saying the OLED is “wired for 4K” is misleading. Hardware being capable of outputting a signal in theory isn’t the same as the system being designed to run games at that resolution. A lot of devices have components that support higher output standards without the GPU performance to back it up. That’s not evidence of a hidden feature—it’s just how hardware design often works.

As for leaks and the “Switch Pro”: yeah, it’s widely believed internally planned upgrades existed. That’s normal in tech—companies prototype and cancel things all the time. It doesn’t really prove anything about current products or justify assumptions about what “should have been.”

Finally, the idea that “all companies are bad” isn’t wrong in a broad sense—corporations prioritize profit. But that also means consumers should evaluate products individually, not just reject or defend a company wholesale. Buying (or not buying) something should come down to whether it’s worth it to you, not as some kind of moral stance against everyone else.

ChronosNotashi · Mar 30, 2026

TankedThomas said:
I wish people could be banned just for sucking off a company so hard.

Okay, the mods can start with you then, if you're pushing for the nuclear option just to get a little bit of happiness in your life.

Post automatically merged: Mar 30, 2026

TomSwitch said:
Calling people “delusional” or “shills” doesn’t actually strengthen the argument—it just shuts down discussion. It’s completely fair to criticize pricing or business decisions, but acting like anyone who disagrees is “dumb” isn’t a solid position.

They most likely got their arguments from grift YouTubers and such. Their comment reads as if it's something that didn't come from them, but from either grifters or an AI trained by grifters.

Post automatically merged: Mar 30, 2026

TomSwitch said:
Finally, the idea that “all companies are bad” isn’t wrong in a broad sense—corporations prioritize profit. But that also means consumers should evaluate products individually, not just reject or defend a company wholesale. Buying (or not buying) something should come down to whether it’s worth it to you, not as some kind of moral stance against everyone else.

Forgot to comment on this one too, and I agree. In the case of Capcom, I won't buy any of the Resident Evil games, but it's more because I'm not really a fan of horror games in the first place. Meanwhile, I purchased Monster Hunter Rise despite all of the complaints, because I've enjoyed the series since 4 Ultimate. You could say I liked Rise and Sunbreak before it was "cool" to like Rise/Rise + Sunbreak.

Same thing with Nintendo games. Visual novels aren't my thing, so I haven't bought any of the Famicom Detective Club games. Pokemon's more based on how I feel regarding what's shown, and it's why I skipped SwSh and USUM (as well as the Let's Go games). But you can bet one of the first games I get if/when I get a Switch 2 will be Hyrule Warriors, partially because I liked Age of Calamity (as well as BOTW and TOTK - still need to finish the latter), and partially because I like the Warriors IP in general (still hoping KOEI TECMO releases Samurai Warriors 6 to continue what they started there).

Moogley · Mar 31, 2026

LeyendaV said:
So your "legitimate criticism" is Nintendo should charge less because they "invest less"?

Each of your replies is more stupid than the last one. Are you sure you are even human? I've seen free AI bots with more memory retention than you

Well, it's no wonder Nintendo can get away with such obvious consumer hostility like price hikes, surcharges for framerate, $10 pack-in titles, remote-bricked consoles, key cards, etc.

If this is who their consumers are, expecting them to change is like expecting a dog to report not being fed.

But don't worry. I know you don't know you're not being fed, but that doesn't mean I won't keep putting the food out in case you change your mind.

TomSwitch · Mar 31, 2026

Moogley said:
Well, it's no wonder Nintendo can get away with such obvious consumer hostility like price hikes, surcharges for framerate, $10 pack-in titles, remote-bricked consoles, key cards, etc.

If this is who their consumers are, expecting them to change is like expecting a dog to report not being fed.

But don't worry. I know you don't know you're not being fed, but that doesn't mean I won't keep putting the food out in case you change your mind.

We all hate price hikes, no matter who imposes them or why. A pump price hike feels especially harsh. When it affects necessities, it’s far worse than increases in discretionary spending.

Trump said “Maybe the children will have two dolls instead of 30 dolls…”

So "Maybe the children will have two Nintendo games instead of 30 games..."

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