When the Nintendo Switch 2’s $450 USD price was announced it turned heads given this is a bigger sticker price then we’ve come to expect from Nintendo in the past. However, with the rise in production costs and other economic uncertainties like tariffs, analysts did predict the Switch 2 to cost around $400 USD at least.
Maybe the bigger shock was around the cost of Switch 2 games, which not only hit the new $70 USD standard for new games but also go as high as $80 in the case of games like Mario Kart World. Add in the additional cost of the various accessories if you want the full Switch 2 experience and it all totals a hefty sum.
But if you adjust the launch cost of previous Nintendo consoles for inflation, how does Switch 2 stack up? And how does the Switch 2 price also compare to other consoles? The results might surprise you…
Nintendo Switch 2 Price Vs Previous Nintendo Consoles
NES
The NES was released in 1985 and was sold for $179 USD at launch. That sounds like a bargain these days, but if you adjust the cost for inflation it would set you back $523 USD in 2025. Woof!
SNES
Nintendo 64
Nintendo’s big 3D revolution came when the Nintendo 64 was released in 1996, which came in at the same $199 price point as the SNES. However that’s $400 USD in today’s terms after adjustments for inflation.
Nintendo GameCube
The Nintendo GameCube, whose games will be available on the Switch 2 through the Nintendo Switch Online’s classic library, hit the shelves in 2001 for $199 or $359 USD in today’s dollars.
Wii
Wii U
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo found its groove again with the Nintendo Switch, which will go down as one of Nintendo’s most-successful consoles of all time. The system hit stores in 2017 – nearly eight years ago – and retailed for $299 USD, or $387 USD in today’s dollars, so still cheaper than Switch 2 when it hits the shelves on June 5.
So there you have it, the original NES is the most expensive console Nintendo has ever launched if you adjust prices for inflation. Does that make Switch 2’s price any easier to swallow? Absolutely not.
But what about the games?
While the Switch 2’s price was largely expected by analysts and other trend watchers, the real head-turner was Nintendo’s pricing on games, which will retail as high as $80 USD for Mario Kart World, while others like Donkey Kong Bananza are priced at $70 USD (or $65 digitally).
It’s difficult to see exactly how that compares to the earliest NES cartridges at launch because unlike today, prices back then varied pretty wildly from one game to the next. For example, in the early 90s an NES game could cost as much as $45 USD, or $130 USD in 2025, while some sold for as little as $34, or $98 USD after adjusting for inflation – which is still more than what Mario Kart World would cost today. But many are convinced that the cost of games could increase further.
It’s no surprise the Switch 2 hits the higher end of Nintendo’s pricing, beaten only by the NES and SNES. Real-world factors do seem to be a big cause of this price increase given that Nintendo announced a cheaper, region-locked Switch 2 for Japan, Nintendo’s key domestic market, for 49,980 JPY or $340 USD.
How Switch 2’s Price Compares to Other Consoles
We did a similar cost analysis when the price for the PS5 Pro was announced, comparing the PS5 Pro to other Sony consoles. But how does Switch 2 stack up to some other past consoles?
PlayStation 2
Xbox 360
The Xbox follow-up was the company’s most-successful console and was released in 2005 for $299 USD, or about $500 USD in 2025.
So that’s how the Switch 2’s price stacks up against its predecessors and some rivals. For more, check out IGN’s hands-on with the Switch 2 as well as games like Mario Kart World. Also, check out our chat with analysts on just why exactly the Switch 2 and everything around it costs so much.
Matt Kim is IGN’s Senior Features Editor.
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