How To Save On Your Switch 2 Purchase

Introduction

With Nintendo’s new console just over the horizon, releasing on June 5th, it’s easy to get excited. It’s not every day we get a new Nintendo console. Hoping to recapture that Nintendo magic, we have the Switch 2 to look forward to. With new entries in beloved series such as Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza (amazing title), how could we not start chanting “Nintendo” in unison? However, the price of the console and the games has gamers around the world worried, but don’t panic! In this article, we’ll give you all the tips and tricks you need to save some money on your Switch 2.  

The Game Price Situation

Physical vs Digital

By now, I’m sure we’ve all seen the headlines and watched videos of people angrily complaining about the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 games, specifically Mario Kart World. If you were to run to your nearest store that still stocks video games, you’d be looking at spending a whopping £74.99 for the latest in the Mario Kart series. Yes, it’s expensive, Nintendo has justified this price by explaining how this will probably be “the richest Mario Kart experience they’ve ever had”. Still, it’s hard to imagine the game being more expansive than Nintendo’s last big exclusive, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which launched for £59.99. However, the £75 price tag is only attached to the physical copy of the game. Nintendo has decided to charge less for the digital versions of its iconic video games. So if you’re not too picky about choosing between digital and physical media, you can pick up Mario Kart World digitally for £66.99. That’s an £8 saving and is generally still cheaper than most big triple-A video games released nowadays (Assassin’s Creed: Shadows recently released at £69.99). For future purchases, it’s worth checking the digital price for these new games before picking up a physical copy, as you could save some cash. Luckily for us, there are now several places where we can purchase digital games. Places like G2A and CDKeys offer alternatives to purchasing digital games, and if you’re unsure about buying games from these sites, we have thoroughly researched whether or not CDKeys and G2A are legit. We found that these sites are safe and a trusted source for discounted video games.  

Nintendo Switch Game Upgrades

Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most Switch 1 games. This isn’t always the case with Nintendo consoles, so it’s always nice to see. Thankfully, some of your Switch 1 games will come with a free update when you play them on Switch 2, such as Super Mario Odyssey, which will improve image resolution, have better frame rates and a few more benefits. Nintendo are also offering Switch 2 versions of already-existing Switch 1 games. Meaning if you never got around to playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch, you can purchase a brand new Switch 2 version of the game that comes with added features and will overall play better. My advice - don’t do this! Nintendo are selling these games for £66.99 each, which is a lot for games that are 5+ years old. Instead, purchase the original Switch 1 version of the game. As an example, you can purchase Breath of the Wild for £44.99 for the original Switch, and if you’re a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscriber, the update will be completely free. Alternatively, you can also pay an upgrade fee of £8 on the Nintendo eShop. So, rather than spending £66.99 for the Switch 2 edition, buy the original Switch 1 version for cheaper and pay for the upgrade through the eStore. In the case of Breath of the Wild, you’ll save £14! For another example, the Switch 2 edition of Kirby and the Forgotten Land is being sold for £64.99. Whereas if you bought the original Switch version, you’ll pay £37.99 and then £8 for the upgrade on the eShop. You’ll be looking at saving £19!  

The Mario Kart World Bundle

As of right now, you can purchase two different editions of the Switch 2: the base console on its own, which is £395.99 and the Mario Kart World bundle, which is the console along with a digital copy of Mario Kart World; this version is £429.99. If you were planning to get Mario Kart World for the console anyway, I would shell out the extra cash to pick it up in the bundle, as you end up paying only £34 for the game. The digital copy of Mario Kart World will run you £66.99 on its own. This means if you miss out on the bundle and purchase the console and Mario Kart separately, you’ll miss out on a saving of £32.99.  

The Accessories

Which Pro Controller Should You Buy?

The Nintendo Switch Pro controller is beloved within the gaming community. It’s always heartbreaking parting with your favourite controller when upgrading to a new console (I’ll never forget you, original Xbox Duke controller). Thankfully, the Switch Pro controller can be used on the Nintendo Switch 2, but as with any new console launch, Nintendo announced a brand new Pro controller that may tickle your fancy. There is, however, a pretty steep price difference between the two controllers. If you don’t already own a Pro controller and you're looking solemnly at your wallet, it may be worth getting the Switch 1 Pro controller and saving the extra cash. Let’s take a look at the features of each controller: 

There are a few features that slightly edge out the original Switch Pro controller, but when you consider that you can pick up the Switch 1 Pro controller for £49.99 and the Switch 2 controller is priced at £74.99, it all depends on whether you believe the extra features are worth it. The Switch 1 Pro controller will work perfectly on the Switch 2, and you’ll save a cool £25 by purchasing it over the Switch 2 Pro controller.  

Do I Need The Switch 2 Camera?

Nintendo dedicated a big chunk of the recent Nintendo Direct to showing off their new ‘Party Chat’ feature. With the Nintendo Switch 2, you’ll be able to plug in a camera so you can video chat with your friends whilst playing your favourite games. It’s a nice little feature, and I can imagine it would go down a storm with party games. Nintendo has created its own USB-C camera that you can purchase for £49.99, and for a USB-C camera, that price isn’t awful. But, it has been confirmed by Nintendo that most USB-C cameras will be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2. So, if you already have a USB-C webcam lying around, you can plug it straight into the Switch 2 and it will work perfectly, saving you £50!  

Conclusion

There’s simply no getting around the fact that the Switch 2 is a pricey console with games that are more expensive than what we’ve seen come before from Nintendo. It can be a difficult time for gamers who just want to enjoy the latest and greatest that Nintendo has to offer. I mean, who doesn’t love a Nintendo exclusive? Donkey Kong Bananza looks fantastic, Mario Kart World promises to be bigger and better than every Mario Kart game that has come before, and we’re even getting a new From Software game exclusively for the Switch 2. Hopefully, this article will help you save money where you can with the new console, so you can spend less time worrying about money and more time playing games. 

If you’re looking for other ways to save money on video games, we’ve written extensive articles about gaming subscription services and researched product key selling sites such as CDKeys and Kinguin to find out if they’re safe to use.