Why Nintendo Switch Games Are So Expensive – SlashGear

Nintendo’s flagship titles launch with high prices and then maintain that level for years. The examples mentioned above are just parts of it — even fewer popular Nintendo games are on the pricey side, especially if you consider that they’re sometimes pretty basic games. 

Let’s use “1-2 Switch” as an example here. The game is fairly situational compared to ones like “Zelda,” and although it came bundled with Switch consoles back in the day, it’s still not a fan favorite. Despite its lukewarm Metascore on Metacritic (58 out of 100) and equally low User Score (4.8 out of 10), the game is still really expensive, selling for around $45 on Amazon. That’s only $15 less than “Hogwarts Legacy,” a game that came out in 2023 and is likely to offer much more storyline and gameplay than “1-2 Switch.” 

Nintendo’s best games, even if dated, also cost a pretty penny. “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” costs in the ballpark of $50 to $60 on Amazon, and “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” is similarly priced. Despite the cost, these games continue to sell well because they’re absolute staples for any Nintendo Switch fan. However, that doesn’t change the fact that games that are over five years old cost the same as newly-released AAA titles do on other consoles and on the PC.