The Pricing Strategy of Switch 2’s First-Party Games Sets a Risky Precedent for GTA 6

The gaming world had its ears perked up on April 2 when Nintendo dropped a bombshell during its Direct event, finally shedding light on much-anticipated details about the Nintendo Switch 2. After months of swirling rumors, we got the official word on the console’s price, its hardware specifics, and tantalizing snippets about the game lineup at launch, including the eagerly awaited Mario Kart World. All eyes had been on the price tag, with a general consensus among enthusiasts that the new console would demand a heftier sum than its predecessor. This prediction held true, raising further anticipation that big titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 could carry a steeper price tag than initially guessed.

Let’s dive into the numbers: the Nintendo Switch 2 will retail for $449.00, quite a leap from the original Switch’s $299.99 release price back in 2017. Each console comes bundled with a dock, two Joy-Con controllers with their appropriate accessories, and necessary cables like HDMI and USB-C. There’s also an enticing package deal for those looking to kickstart their gaming experience with a digital copy of Mario Kart World. This bundle will set you back $499.00.

Speaking of Mario Kart World, which debuts alongside the console on June 5, the game is breaking past pricing trends. It’ll cost $80 for a digital copy and $90 if you want to grab it physically. Meanwhile, other launch titles like the next iterations of The Legend of Zelda haven’t been priced yet, but they could likely follow a similar jump from the typical $59.99 price point seen for Switch games in 2025.

On the horizon, Grand Theft Auto 6 is another title that gamers are eagerly watching. Rockstar Games has been nurturing this follow-up to 2013’s blockbuster GTA 5. Although it’s slated for a release in late 2025, there’s still no concrete date. Before these recent Nintendo updates, it was thought GTA 6 might launch at $80 simply due to its anticipated demand and expansive open-world design. Yet, with Mario Kart World’s digital version benchmarking at $80, some experts are speculating that Grand Theft Auto 6 might go above that, possibly even reaching $90 or $100. In fact, a dubious pre-order listing pegged it at $112, and industry analyst Michael Pachter noted that such a number wouldn’t be outlandish given the game’s stature and features.

However, it’s not a blanket policy for all future Nintendo Switch 2 titles. As announced during the same Direct, Donkey Kong Bananza is priced at a comparatively modest $69.99, which might hint that higher prices could be the exception rather than the norm. For Grand Theft Auto 6, we’ll have to wait for Rockstar’s official pronouncement to know for sure, but given present signals, a higher price seems more than plausible.