CheckMag | Nintendo Switch 2 game lineup reveals a range of outrageously priced games you probably already bought cheaper elsewhere

Nintendo has historically sold older titles for its ageing Switch platform at prices that far exceed the prices of the same games on competing platforms. Even now, Nintendo charges $59.99 for Skyrim on the Switch, a game that released 14 years ago and could be purchased as low as $3.99 during a Steam sale. However, many other titles still fetch premium prices on the Nintendo eShop including L.A. Noire ($49.99) and Wolfenstein II ($39.99). Even the recently released (but still old) Red Dead Redemption fetches a $10 premium when purchasing on the eShop.

Now that the Nintendo Direct event is over, we have been given an insight into some of the upcoming titles to be released alongside, or shortly after the release of the Switch 2 in June. These include Elden Ring, Hitman World of Assassins, Hogwarts Legacy, Yakuza 0, Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy VII remake. 

Pricing for Switch 2 games seems sketchy at best, but if the Spanish eShop prices are to believed, you can expect to pay a minimum of €69.99 ($75) all the way up to €89.99 ($98) for a physical copy of a game. Even if older titles are discounted somewhat, paying that kind of money for a game such as Cyberpunk, a title which regularly goes on sale for $23.99 seems pretty outrageous. A direct conversion might not represent an accurate price for a game, but any Trump tariffs are unlikely to help pricing move in the right direction.

When the original Switch launched in 2017, it was more or less the only handheld gaming device capable of running a range of triple-A titles. However, the market is now saturated with PC based handhelds from the likes of MSI, Asus and Valve, devices that enable consumers to purchase titles from almost any digital marketplace.

Admittedly, based on the previews from the Switch 2 Direct event, many of these titles look great, and there are a range of other titles both new and old available at launch. However, at $449 for the console, an Asus ROG Ally is a much better value proposition at only $50 more (available on Amazon) and you'd save a significant chunk of change on the games.

Regardless, based on Nintendo's history of pricing and the potential cost of games, owning a Switch 2 and buying games is likely to be a significant investment.