Nintendo Switch 2 Will Offer Two Bundles Following Price Increase
We’re just days away from the price increase of the Nintendo Switch 2, as this year-old console joins the ranks of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S with a notable $50 hike, bringing the new price to $500. In conjunction with this change, the company has unveiled two new bundles set to launch after the increase: a revival of the Mario Kart World bundle and a new Nintendo Switch Sports Resort bundle, the latter arriving later this year. The Mario Kart bundle will retail for $550, while the Sports Resort bundle is priced at $530. Both bundles come with a 90-day subscription to Nintendo Switch Online.
The Switch 2 initially launched with a standalone option and a bundle that included a digital version of Mario Kart World at a slight discount, priced at $500 instead of the standard $450. This helped Mario Kart World become the console’s top-selling game. That bundle was quietly phased out but is now making a comeback at a higher price point. The Switch Sports Resort bundle is entirely new and will launch alongside the game on October 22. It’s important to note that neither bundle includes a physical copy of the respective game.
A new feature this time is the inclusion of a 90-day subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, although it’s a rather basic offering. This is not the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, which provides access to various DLC for titles like Animal Crossing, Splatoon 2, and Mario Kart 8, as well as free upgrades for Switch 1 Zelda titles like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, plus access to a library of GameCube, Game Boy Advance, N64, and Virtual Boy games. It also doesn’t include the Family Membership option that allows you to add family members to the same plan. Given that this service is essentially free for Nintendo aside from server costs, it feels a bit underwhelming.
When the price increase was announced back in May, Nintendo mentioned “the impact of various changes in market conditions…expected to extend over the medium to long term.” Just a month prior, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tariffs imposed on the company were illegal, meaning Nintendo will be reimbursed for the losses but has stated it won’t pass any of that savings back to customers who faced earlier price hikes. Notably, the planned increases in the U.S. are double those in Europe, and hopes that the $50 hike might be reconsidered following the tariff ruling have not materialized.
Let’s hope this marks the beginning of more bundle options. It’s still surprising that there isn’t a Donkey Kong Bananza bundle or even a Pokémon-themed option available.
