Don't pay $80 for new Switch 2 games - use this hack instead

The gaming world was hit with some pretty big news yesterday, following the recent Nintendo Direct event that gave us all of the juicy details on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console – launching on June 5, 2025, with preorders starting on April 8, 2025.

But after the initial excitement over the biggest console launch of the year, there seems to be a bittersweet response to everything announced at yesterday's Nintendo Direct. There are plenty of gamers (myself included) overwhelmed with joy for the new Switch 2 features, but other Nintendo fans have highlighted the extortionate new game prices, questioning the $80 price tag for a new game.

I wholeheartedly agree that these new Nintendo Switch 2 game prices are far too high, and I worry that if the majority of people agree to pay these prices, it could set a new precedent or industry standard for other brands to follow. Thankfully, I think I have a solution (more of a hack really) to help gamers avoid paying these high prices for upcoming Switch 2 versions of games.

Here's my hack – you can get The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for as low as £38 from retailers like CeX in the UK right now, and according to Nintendo, if you already own a copy of this game (and have an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership) at the time of the Switch 2 edition launch, then you can access the upgrade pack for free.

That's better than paying full price, right? As another example, if you pick up a cheaper secondhand copy of Mario Party Jamboree before the Switch 2 launch, then you'll only need to purchase the upgrade pack (and not the full game) to play the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition when it launches.

While we don't know the official price of Mario Party Jamboree version 2 in the UK yet, Walmart has already listed it for a whopping $79.99 in the US (yikes). It appears that most of the new Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza will be priced as high as $79.99 / £66.99, with physical cartridges expected to cost even more than digital editions for the first time ever.

In the UK, you can get Super Mario Party Jamboree for as little as £36.95 over at Amazon right now, and likely even cheaper secondhand, which is much better than having to pay full price when the new Switch 2 versions of games are released this summer.

My advice: stock up your Switch game library of original titles for a cheap rate while you can, as it wouldn't surprise me if Nintendo decided to enhance more of its OG titles (like Super Mario Odyssey) in the future, if the concept is received well.

Below you'll find the best deals and lowest prices on older Nintendo Switch consoles in your region and worldwide, using our clever deals widget updating 24/7.