Nintendo confirms its US Switch 2 games will soon cost mo...

What’s Happening

Listen up: Starting with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, first-party Nintendo games will have different prices as digital and physical versions Nintendo confirms its US Switch 2 games will soon cost more as physical versions Starting with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, first-party Nintendo games will have different prices as digital and physical versions Video Game News 25th Mar 2026 / 5:22 pm Posted by Andy Robinson Nintendo of America has just dropped that, beginning in May, it will introduce differing pricing for physical and digital versions of its Switch 2 games.

The policy will begin with the release of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, with pre-orders confirming that the platform game will retail for $10 more ($70) physically than digitally. Nintendo introduced what it called variable pricing with its Switch 2 software, with some games costing more than others. (yes, really)

For example, in the US, Donkey Kong Bananza retails for $69.

The Details

99 physically and digitally, while Mario Kart World is $79. 99 physically and digitally, so, by comparison, Yoshi offers a digital price cut.

But, in some regions, such as the UK, physical Nintendo games have already been more expensive for Switch 2. For example, Donkey Kong Banaza and Mario Kart World cost about £8 more as boxed games.

Why This Matters

“Beginning in May 2026, and starting with preorders for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, new Nintendo published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 will have an MSRP that is different from physical versions,” the company dropped. “Nintendo games offer the same experiences whether in packaged or digital format, and this change simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format and offers players more choice in how they can buy and play Nintendo games. Some analyst firms expect Nintendo to raise Switch 2 prices.

This is the kind of news that gets gamers talking across social media.

The Bottom Line

“As always, retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary. ” The pricing change comes amid expectations from some industry analysts that Nintendo could raise the price of Switch 2 consoles this year, because of global manufacturing cost increases.

How do you feel about this development?