Update 1:49pm PT: Nintendo has issued a statement to IGN in response to our inquiry about the Switch 2 game pricing change, following confusion regarding whether this was Nintendo effectively concealing a quiet price increase by making physical Switch 2 games more expensive, or if it is in fact Switch 2 digital games getting cheaper.
Nintendo's statement is below:
"The cost of physical games is not going up.
"This means that when Nintendo sells digital versions of Nintendo published games exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 to consumers in the U.S., those prices will have an MSRP that is lower than their physical counterparts.
"Retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary."
Original story continues below:
Nintendo has announced that it will now charge different amounts for digital and physical copies of the same Switch 2 games, beginning with next month's launch of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.
Yoshi was previously announced with a digital price of $59.99, which remains in place today for its digital version. But its physical counterpart will now be sold at $69.99 — a full $10 more expensive.
In a statement issued moments ago, Nintendo said that its higher price point for physical games "simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing" boxed copies.
"Beginning in May 2026, and starting with pre-orders for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, new Nintendo published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 will have an MSRP that is different from physical versions," Nintendo wrote.
"Nintendo games offer the same experiences whether in packaged or digital format, and this change simply reflects the different costs associated with producing and distributing each format and offers players more choice in how they can buy and play Nintendo games.
"As always, retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary."
Today's statement references new Nintendo games specifically, which seems to suggest that existing titles (such as Mario Kart World, which is already $79.99 when bought either digitally or physically) will not retroactively see their boxed prices raised.
Still, this will mean that future games already announced for the console will be impacted, including Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave and Splatoon Raiders. And in general, Nintendo is known for attracting a younger audience still keen to buy physical copies of games — far more than on either PlayStation or Xbox.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Nintendo had cut back on manufacturing Switch 2 consoles following weaker than expected holiday sales for the console. Nintendo recently confirmed it had sold fewer Switch 2 consoles internationally over the holiday period than it had once hoped, particularly in the U.S. — though the impact of this had also been dulled somewhat by stronger sales in its homeland of Japan.
Like other electronics companies, Nintendo's profits have been under pressure due to the rising cost of components such as semiconductors, as well as issues surrounding tarriffs and logistical difficulties currently impacting global trade. The company increased prices of various Switch 2 accessories prior to the console's launch, and bumped up the price of the aging Switch 1 last year. As of yet, Nintendo has not increased the cost of Switch 2 as it seeks to swell the console's userbase, but warned this "may be necessary in future."
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
