Nintendo offers $500 Switch 2 bundle

Nintendo is doing the simple thing buyers actually wanted — a Switch 2 bundle that lets you pick the pack-in game instead of taking whatever Nintendo chose for you. The new package costs $499.99 and starts showing up at participating North American retailers in early June. That matters because the console alone is $449.99 right now, so this is basically a first-party game for $50. And it lands before Nintendo’s planned September 2026 U.S. price revision, which gives the whole offer a bit of a clock. ### What is Nintendo actually selling? It’s a standard Nintendo Switch 2 system plus a download code for one game. Buyers get three choices: Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia. Nintendo is calling it the “Choose Your Game Bundle,” and the company says it will be sold through participating retailers rather than as some weird one-store exclusive. (nintendo.com) ### Why does $500 stand out? Because the math is unusually clean. Nintendo launched Switch 2 in the U.S. at $449.99, and first-party games on the platform have been priced around $69.99 to $79.99. So a $499.99 bundle means the extra game is effectively discounted to about $50, depending on which title you pick. That is not a giant fire sale, but for Nintendo hardware it counts as a real bundle deal, not just a box with prettier art. (nintendo.com) ### Why let people choose the game? Because Nintendo’s old bundle logic was narrower. The early Switch 2 bundle paired the console with Mario Kart World for the same $499.99 price. This new version keeps the price but broadens the appeal — racing fans can still grab Mario Kart, while everyone else can steer toward Donkey Kong Bananza or Pokémon Pokopia without paying full separate retail. It’s a small change, but it removes the “nice bundle, wrong game” problem. (nintendo.com) ### Why mention September? Because Nintendo already posted a U.S. “Price Revision for Nintendo Switch 2 System” notice dated May 7, 2026. The official news page for the bundle was published May 12, so the timing feels deliberate — get a bundle into stores before the higher pricing hits in September. Nintendo’s bundle post does not frame it as a last-chance offer, but that is the obvious consumer read. (nintendo.com) ### Is this a permanent bundle? Probably not. Nintendo describes it as a limited-time offer starting in early June, and the wording points to retailer availability rather than an open-ended SKU that will live forever. That usually means stock will vary by store, and once the promo window closes, Nintendo can quietly move on without changing the base console story. (nintendo.com) ### Why North America only? That is how Nintendo announced it. The official post names participating retailers in North America, not a global rollout. That does not rule out similar bundles elsewhere later, but right now this is a regional promotion, and buyers outside the U.S. and Canada should not assume the same package is coming on the same schedule. (nintendo.com) ### So who is this really for? New buyers who were already close to pulling the trigger. If you want a Switch 2 this summer, this is the cleanest official value Nintendo has put on the table — especially if one of those three games was already on your list. If you were waiting for a true price cut, though, this is not that. It is Nintendo’s preferred version of a discount: keep the hardware price high, sweeten the box, and make the deadline do the selling. (nintendo.com) ### Bottom line? Nintendo did not slash the Switch 2’s sticker price. It did something more on-brand — offer a tidy $500 bundle, let buyers choose the game, and launch it before September makes the decision harder. (nintendo.com)