The company already practices this in a number of regions, but now the new pricing policy of the big "N" will affect more markets.
Nintendo has announced a new pricing policy for games on the Nintendo Switch 2: starting in May 2026, the cost of physical and digital versions will differ.
The first game to which the changes will be applied is Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Pre-orders already show that the physical edition of the platformer will cost $10 more than the digital one — $70 versus a lower price in the online store.
Previously, Nintendo introduced so-called "variable pricing" for Switch 2 games. For example, Donkey Kong Bananza sells for $69.99 in both digital and physical formats, while Mario Kart World costs $79.99 regardless of the version. Against this background, the new game about Yoshi actually offers a discount for buyers of the digital version.
In some regions, including the UK, the price difference between formats is already observed: boxed versions of some games cost approximately £8 more than digital ones.
In an official statement, Nintendo emphasized that the new approach reflects differences in the cost of producing and distributing physical copies. At the same time, the company noted that final prices may vary, as they are set by retail partners.
The changes are taking place against the backdrop of analysts' expectations of a possible increase in the cost of the console itself. Rising production costs, including rising memory prices and the impact of global economic factors, have already led companies such as Sony and Microsoft to raise prices on their gaming systems last year.
