Excitement gave way to outrage as Switch 2 pricing news dropped post-Direct. Fans flooded Nintendo’s Treehouse stream with calls to “drop the price."
Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct presentation kicked off strong, showcasing an exciting lineup of upcoming titles. However, the excitement quickly faded when the stream concluded, after which Nintendo quietly unleashed a series of disappointing updates—revealing the Switch 2’s price, game costs, and other glaring omissions that were conspicuously absent from the presentation.
The dissatisfaction among fans was made quite apparent during Nintendo’s latest Treehouse livestream, its first since unveiling the Nintendo Switch 2.
The stream was overwhelmed with criticism from viewers demanding a price reduction. The YouTube chat was filled with frustrated users repeatedly calling on the company to "DROP THE PRICE."
The stream got flooded with so many complaints that Nintendo has since made the official livestream private, opting instead to upload individual gameplay videos. Despite this, the backlash has not disappeared.
Fans discontent with prices for the Switch 2, its games, and more
The Switch 2 itself is set to retail for $449.99, with a bundle including Mario Kart World available for $499.99, effectively offering a $30 discount on the game. However, what seems to be fueling the outrage the most is the jump in first-party game pricing, with Mario Kart World launching at $79.99—or a whopping $89.99 for a physical copy.
Some comments left in the Mario Kart World Treehouse video were similar to YouTuber @will2livemusic, who said that “80 dollars is crazy for Mario Kart.”
Another YouTuber, @ChaosCola2 opted for the sarcastic approach. “Sorry kids, no food this week. Daddy had to buy the new Mario Kart World.😔,” they said.
The controversy isn’t limited to just one title. Other Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, including 2023's The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, are also priced at $79.99, a notable increase from the standard $59.99 pricing seen in previous generations.
“Paying that price for a game I will play for more than 5 years like Mario Kart I don’t mind,” YouTuber @maldeventre said. “BUT if every game become (US $) 80-90, I will wait for a price drop for sure. Because I’m not paying (US $) 80-90 for [a] 20-30 hour game.”
Further exacerbating the frustration, Nintendo has opted to charge for Welcome Tour, a tutorial game for the Switch 2. Many fans argue this should be a free pack-in, pointing to Astro’s Playroom, which comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.
With only a few months left before the console's release, Nintendo may need to rethink how it communicates with fans—or risk letting discontent overshadow its biggest launch in years.
