Nintendo Will Price Switch 2 Games Differently for Digital and Physical Versions

Nintendo announced today that new Switch 2 games will cost less when purchased digitally starting in May.

Beginning in May 2026, and starting with preorders for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, new Nintendo published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 will have an MSRP [manufacturer’s suggested retail price] that is different from physical versions,” the announcement explains. “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.”

To date, Switch and Switch 2 games have had the same suggested retail price regardless of the format. Now, physical Switch 2 games will cost $10 more than the digital versions. This change appears to have already happened in some markets, like the UK. And it comes ahead of expected price increases for the console itself, thanks to component shortages.

It appears that this change applies only to new games. But I could imagine it being applied to current games at some point as well.