Nintendo Will Charge Different Prices for Digital and Physical Games, Starting with Yoshi
According to a post released by the gaming giant on March 25th, Nintendo will charge different prices for digital and physical games starting in May 2026. And the first game to get hit with this change is Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.
The upcoming game, which will release on May 21, will be $59.99 on the eShop to download or $69.99 at retail locations. This will only be a change to first-party games.
For those who like the convenience of downloading a game rather than collecting the physical copy, this can be a great thing, as you’re saving $10, as most games were recommended at $69.99, no matter what format you purchased them in. However, this is a blow to those who prefer physical media because many Switch 2 games no longer have cartridges, just game-key cards that allow the user to download the title but do not contain the full game data.
According to the post, “Nintendo games offer the same experience 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.”
This will affect only new games that come out in May, and existing titles will not see a price change (even though Mario Kart World is already more expensive at $79.99).
Nintendo stated to IGN in response to their pricing inquiry, saying, “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.”
Essentially, they’re saying that they’re not raising the prices, but lowering the digital version prices to accommodate the lack of packing, production, and distribution.
Though the timing makes this decision frustrating, as gamers are sharing their disinterest in physical copies because they don’t include a cartridge. While producing the packaging for physical media is definitely an extra cost, with Switch 2 games only including a game-key card, which just lets you download the game, it feels like a rip-off, with it being an extra $10.
