$80 might become the new pricing standard for video games over the next two years, analysts claim

Higher Game Prices Could Become The Norm After Switch 2 Reveal, Analysts Predict

$80 might become the new pricing standard for video games over the next two years, analysts claim

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It is worth noting that certain Switch 2 Game Cards will only contain keys on the cart that can be used to authenticate a purchase and then download a game directly to the console. Whether these games will cost $60 or $70 remains to be seen, but another Switch 2 game, Donkey Kong Bananza, does have an MSRP of $70. The other concern here is that Nintendo will likely set a new precedent for game prices with Mario Kart World, allowing other publishers to follow suit and also charge $80 for new games.

It has already been rumored that GTA 6 will cost $80 when it launches, which isn't too surprising given that GTA 6's publisher Take-Two Interactive was the first company to sell a standalone video game for $70 in 2020. A few years later, Nintendo's first $70 game was The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

While Nintendo first-party games rarely receive significant discounts during the first few years of their lifespan, you can technically get Mario Kart World for $50 when it's released. The game will be sold as part of a Switch 2 bundle priced at $500, effectively discounting it by $30. Alternatively, you can pick up the Switch 2 on its own for $450 and it is backwards compatible with almost the entire Switch library.

Several Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey, Arms, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet will also receive undefined updates, while other games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom will have graphical upgrade options that can be purchased separately.

Every Nintendo Switch 2 Launch Game