I'm sorry, are we being played? $90 for a Nintendo Switch 2 game makes it a rich man's hobby

The digital dust is just settling on the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct and I'm only just taking in all of the news; some great – new Donkey Kong – some weird – mouse controls, but who for – and yet its the hidden price rise on Switch 2 games that is leaving a sour taste. Nintendo has revealed new Switch 2 games will cost $90 for physical games and $80 for digital.

The price of the new console's games could overshadow the good news, for instance the five epic Nintendo Switch 2 surprises that have fans talking about, and this despite the console itself not being priced too high (comparatively to past launches).

Now, gaming has never been a cheap hobby, but the pricing of Nintendo Switch 2 games is starting to feel a little absurd – and I remember playing £100 for Street Fighter 2 on SNES, that's a whopping £250 in today's money. While the original Switch kept most of its titles at a reasonable $60 / £50 price point, early signs suggest that Switch 2 might push that even higher – potentially to the $80 and $90 mark for some key titles, such as Donkey Kong: Bananza and Mario Kart World.

This sounds wild, but let's not forget there are rumours swirling that GTA 6 on PS5 and Xbox Series X will cost as much as $100, which feels like a breaking point for many. Have we finally reached a point where games prices are too high?

A push towards digital

There's a nice caveat to Nintendo's pricing, and that's a push towards more digital releases and pricing these games lower than physical copies. Nintendo, like many other games publishers, has been subtly steering players towards digital games and pricing these lower is yet another guide-post for us gamers.

Whether it's the Nintendo eShop frequently running digital only sales, a lack of discounts on physical copies, or the push towards cloud-gaming and subscriptions, it's clear Nintendo wants us to abandon physical cartridges altogether.

At first glance, digital gaming seems like a great option, and I do love the convenience of downloading and playing a game in minutes, and even pre-loading for future releases. My games library is always there, seconds from being played. Great. But the trade-off is significant – when you buy a digital copy of a game, you don't truly own it in the same way as you would a physical game. You can't sell it, lend it, or even have guaranteed access to the game year's from now as servers can be shut down and licenses change hands.

But here Nintendo has found a loophole with its Virtual Cards, announced just ahead of the Switch 2 Direct these enable you to 'lend' digital games from your library to a friend or family member for up to two weeks. While the new GameShare feature revealed in today's Direct enables multiple players to use one game. These are two new features every gamer should cheer on, and indeed could usher in a new era of 'couch play' games.

As if to fend off criticism over the rising price of its games, Nintendo has offered a way to enable us to share games more easily and so ease the burden of soaring costs. It's as if Nintendo recognises game costs are getting too high, and for a brand focused on the family it feels a little ashamed, and is offering a neat workaround. If the trade off is to buy digital, I think many will do so.

Regardless, the real question is, is $90 for a game justifiable? I can't help but think $90 / £80 for a new game on Switch 2 is too high. I understand development costs have increased, often to match player expectations but also to chase new technological trends. I've been playing Assassin's Creed Shadows and Xenoblade Chronicles X recently, and can see myself playing both games for months to come, just as I did Zelda Breath of the Wild – so $90 for these, I think maybe I'd pay that, as the value is clear. Likewise, $90 for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond or Mario Kart World, a game I know I'll be playing for years to come, well… I get it.

I mean, FromSoftware's The Duskbloods already has my money. But will anyone pay $90 for Pyuo Puyo Tetris, maybe not, but there's a chance the $90 / £80 price point becomes the new normal for every new game release.

Meanwhile, PlayStation and Xbox have leaned into subscription models with PlayStation Plus and Game Pass, giving players access to vast libraries of games, old and new, for a monthly fee. Nintendo, however, has been slow to adopt this kind of approach, instead charging a premium for core titles; its own Nintendo Online service is good for retro games but not a patch on Game Pass' day one releases. And because Nintendo games rarely drop in price, the cost of entry into Switch and now Switch 2, for exclusive first-party games, can be steep.

I think players will soak up the higher price point for Nintendo games and exclusives, but if this becomes the standard for all Switch 2 games it could be a problem, and even dampen hardware sales with gamers preferring to stay with Switch and buy secondhand. At least there is that Virtual Card workaround that can save money for friendship groups, but I know many dislike buying digitally. Whatever way the cards fall, virtual or physical, Switch 2 has a more nuanced path to success than first thought.

(If you're buying a new console, read up on five epic Nintendo Switch 2 surprises that have fans talking, and read how to pre-order a Switch 2.)

What do you think, are Switch 2 games priced too high? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.