"Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Games Justify Higher Price, Says Ex-PlayStation Boss"

The former boss of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, Shawn Layden, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Nintendo’s Switch 2 pricing, suggesting that the allure of exclusive Nintendo games helps to offset the higher costs. Last week, Nintendo announced the Switch 2 would retail at $449.99, surpassing some analysts' expectations by about $50. Additionally, the price of certain Switch 2 games, such as Mario Kart World, was set at $79.99, marking a $10 increase over previous titles.

It's important to note that Nintendo is offering a limited-time bundle that includes Mario Kart World with the Switch 2 for $499.99, effectively reducing the game's cost by $30. However, the future availability of this bundle at $500 remains uncertain, given the ongoing tariff issues and Nintendo's decision to delay pre-orders in the U.S.

Mario Kart World is not the only game seeing a price hike; other announced Switch 2 Edition games like Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition are also priced at $79.99.

IGN has covered a range of reactions to Nintendo’s pricing strategy, including insights from analysts who explain the rationale behind these increases. Layden shared his perspective on the PlayerDriven YouTube channel and podcast, emphasizing how Nintendo’s strategy differs from Sony and Microsoft. While Sony and Microsoft are increasingly releasing their exclusive titles on PC and rival consoles, Nintendo continues to keep its games exclusive to its own hardware.

"But right here you see, ‘wow, that’s kind of a hefty price hike from Switch 1 to Switch 2 and, wow, 80 bucks for a game?’ " Layden remarked. "But if it’s the only place where you can play Mario, then you get your wallet out and you buy into it... and Donkey Kong and Zelda. That first-party exclusivity kind of mitigates the sticker shock, if you will, of these price hikes, because you want that content so bad."

Below is a breakdown of the pricing for the Nintendo Switch 2 and its accessories in the U.S.:

Nintendo Switch 2 pricing in the U.S.:

Nintendo Switch 2 by itself: $449.99
Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World bundled in: $499.99
Mario Kart World by itself: $79.99
Donkey Kong Bananza: $69.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller: $79.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: $49.99
Joy-Con 2 Controller pair: $89.99
Joy-Con 2 Charging Grip: $34.99
Joy-Con 2 Strap: $12.99
Joy-Con 2 Wheel pair: $19.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Dock Set: $109.99
Nintendo Switch 2 Carrying Case and Screen Protector: $34.99
Nintendo Switch 2 All-In-One Carrying Case: $79.99
Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter: $29.99

Layden also discussed the general pricing of video games, noting that, when adjusted for inflation, game prices have effectively decreased over the years. He suggested that console manufacturers should have incrementally raised game prices by $5 with each new generation, which would have brought current prices to around $90.

"In 2025 dollars, $59.99 in 1999 is equivalent to $100. Your purchasing power compared to your cost of living, it's much smaller now than it was before, but still companies have been reluctant to push that price up," Layden explained. "I was in it at the time — probably every generation they should have baked in a $5 software price hike, and make that the typical, 'well every generation it's another five bucks.' And you would have been up to $90 already by now."

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Boxes

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This week, IGN published an interview with Bill Trinen, Vice President of Product and Player Experience at Nintendo of America, conducted at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York, before the announcement of the pre-order delay due to Trump’s tariffs. Trinen defended the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World, emphasizing the game's extensive content and upcoming detailed reveal in a dedicated Nintendo Direct.

“I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value?” Trinen stated. “Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that.

“But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had.”

When asked about the $80 price for some Switch 2 Edition games, Trinen highlighted the value Nintendo places on its titles. He noted that existing owners can upgrade for $9.99, and those with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership get access to both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at no extra cost.

“Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?' " Trinen said. “What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game. For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those.

“But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that.”

Regarding the $450 price of the Switch 2 itself, Trinen again emphasized value, acknowledging the rising costs associated with developing new console technology.

“Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time,” he told IGN. “But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that.”

As IGN has reported, some Nintendo fans are worried about being priced out of the next-generation if Nintendo raises prices further due to the tariff situation.