Switch 2 debate: pricing and pipeline
Coverage this week flags two pressure points for Nintendo’s next console: a heated debate over $80 Switch 2 game pricing — with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition cited as a second $80 title after Mario Kart World — and publisher moves like DECAPOLICE dropping last‑gen support and pivoting to next‑gen platforms. (vice.com) (noobfeed.com) (nintenderos.com) (youtube.com) (youtube.com) (youtube.com)
Nintendo’s Switch 2 debate has narrowed to two numbers: $79.99 games and a shrinking list of publishers still building for the original Switch. (nintendo.com) (gematsu.com) Nintendo’s own store lists Mario Kart World at $79.99, alongside other Switch 2 releases at $69.99, $79.99, and lower price points. The same store page shows The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at $79.99 and Donkey Kong Bananza at $69.99. (nintendo.com) Vice reported this week that fans were also arguing over Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition after a Nintendo listing in Australia showed the game for Switch 2 with a 2026 release window. Bandai Namco’s official site says that edition includes the base game, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, new armor, and new Torrent customization. (vice.com) (nintendo.com) (bandainamcoent.com) Nintendo’s store now shows that $79.99 is not a one-off reserved for Mario Kart World. It appears on several Switch 2 editions, while many other first-party and third-party releases remain at $69.99 or below. (nintendo.com 1) (nintendo.com 2) At the same time, Level-5 has revised DECAPOLICE’s platform plan. Gematsu reported on April 11 that the game’s official site now lists PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and personal computer via Steam, while the previously announced PlayStation 4 and Switch versions are no longer planned. (gematsu.com 1) (gematsu.com 2) That is a sharp change from September 2024, when DECAPOLICE was delayed to 2026 and still slated for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and personal computer. The new plan drops both last-generation console versions and adds Switch 2 instead. (gematsu.com 1) (gematsu.com 2) Nintendo has kept the Switch 2 hardware price it announced on April 2, 2025: $449.99 in the United States, or $499.99 for a bundle with Mario Kart World. That leaves software pricing and release support, not the console sticker, as the more visible moving parts in 2026. (nintendo.com) The software lineup also shows why publishers are testing the new machine’s ceiling. Nintendo’s compatibility page says Switch 2 can play compatible Switch games, but publishers are still selling separate “Switch 2 Edition” releases with upgraded features and, in some cases, higher prices. (nintendo.com) (nintendo.com) Other pipeline chatter is less settled. Playstack’s official page for UNBEATABLE lists PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and personal computer with an October 12, 2025 release date, while a Switch 2 version has appeared in retailer and media reports without a matching announcement from the publisher. (playstack.com) (nintenderos.com) For Nintendo, the thread running through both arguments is simple: Switch 2 now has enough momentum that publishers are dropping older targets, and enough pricing power that $79.99 is no longer unusual on the platform. (gematsu.com) (nintendo.com)
