One of the best-selling consoles, the Nintendo Switch, sold over 150 million units worldwide as of December 2024, costing around $300. This has made it the third-best-selling console of all time, behind PlayStation 2. The Nintendo Switch features three different ways to play, making it stand out from other consoles: TV mode, tabletop mode, and handheld mode.
Said to come out on June 5, 2025, Nintendo presented a second version of the Switch. This version features improved visuals, performance, gamechat, new Joy-Con controllers and more. While the new Switch seems like a good thing for Nintendo fans, the cost raises controversy. Sophomore Tristan Buck is a fan of playing games on the first Switch. Buck said, “Prices are semi-reasonable for a new console but the game prices are way too high”.
The controversy surrounding the Switch 2 revolves around the pricing. The new Switch itself starts at $449.99 – significantly more expensive compared to the first one. And getting the console is just the start of the money spending, as getting games is the next part. The best-selling game on the Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, is getting a new version called Mario Kart World, going up to the price of $80. Another game, Donkey Kong Banaza, is going to be priced at $69.99. Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, a game that serves as a tutorial for the brand new console, has been decided to be charged for.
Something else that plays a large part in the controversy is online services. Nintendo’s choice of charging for online features like voice and video chat, and paying for existing Switch games to run on the Switch 2 has stirred some debate. Another aspect of controversy is the delay in pre-orders. All pre-orders for the Switch 2 in the US have been postponed due to the impact of recent tariffs on foreign trade.
Art teacher Ms. Brown said, “The Switch 2 is way overpriced and the games themselves are also more expensive individually”.
From the $80 games to the paid online services, the Switch 2 seems like a cash grab.
