Lingering Questions About the Switch 2 – Variable Pricing, Game Keys, System Specs, and More

Following months of leaks, most of which would turn out to have a surprising amount of credibility, Nintendo would reveal the Switch 2 in February this year, ahead of a later event focused entirely on its new console. As promised, April 2, 2025, saw Nintendo air a full Nintendo Direct showcase dedicated entirely to highlighting the Switch 2. We learned a lot over those 60 minutes, including the all-important details concerning the unit’s pricing, availability, and launch software. But in the days following the Nintendo Direct, more information concerning Nintendo’s plans for software pricing, data management, and the Switch 2’s release strategy only leaves us with new questions. It didn’t help that, a mere 24 hours after the Switch 2’s reveal, the US’s reciprocal tariffs went into effect, causing Nintendo to delay US pre-orders of the Switch 2 indefinitely.

After the promised pre-order date of April 9 came and went, and the US walked back the tariffs on countries whose electronics production pipeline is essential to Nintendo’s manufacturing (namely, Vietnam and Cambodia), we still do not have a clearer picture of when consumers will be able to get their hands on Nintendo’s newest console. We also have learned plenty of concerning information regarding what Mario Kart World‘s $80 price point could mean for the future of AAA software pricing, as well as the grim reality that — for at least some games — players will not own the actual game, but instead a DRM “Game Key” that grants them access to a downloadable license.

On top of the questions raised by new details post the Nintendo Direct, we still need practical information regarding the Switch 2’s hardware specs, though we do have some insight that points to what players can expect from the unit.

What Does ‘Variable Pricing’ Mean for Switch 2’s Future Games?

One of the more controversial aspects of the Switch 2 revealed during the Nintendo Direct presentation was the unit’s pricing, both in terms of its hardware and its software. While the MSRP of $449.99 for the console itself makes sense considering how much of an upgrade it is over the original Switch, consumers are understandably upset over the fact that Nintendo is pricing the Switch 2’s first-party launch title, Mario Kart World, at $80. Many feared that this would be the signal to inspire other publishers to move the needle for game pricing up from the standard $70 that Sony established at the beginning of the 9th console generation back in 2020, and given the current state of global economic uncertainty, it felt like the wrong time for Nintendo to break that pricing barrier.

In response to backlash over the pricing of Mario Kart World, Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser, and other Nintendo representatives have parroted the talking point that the company will be moving forward with what it’s calling “Variable Pricing”. Depending on several determining factors — a game’s development budget, its total replay value, and its association with premium IP — first-party games on the Nintendo Switch 2 will vary in price, ranging anywhere from $40-$80. It’s not all that different from how publishers have already approached pricing, but to see the higher end of that range move past the commonly accepted $70 max for AAA titles is obviously concerning.

What Variable Pricing Could Mean for the Switch 2 Moving Forward

Notably, choosing to stand by the MSRP of Mario Kart World and defend its $80 price point opens up the door for Nintendo to continue pushing the price of other titles in the Switch 2 library. Similarly, it also gives third-party publishers the leeway to choose how to price their games for the console, opening up a potential can of worms when it comes to steadily rising game prices. We’re already seeing this with the retail listings for Nintendo Switch 2 Edition versions of original Nintendo Switch games, which currently have an MSRP of $70 or $80 in comparison to their original pricing of $60.

However, to assume that this is a modern phenomenon or that $60 and $70 price points have been the norm is also incorrect. Anyone who grew up during the late 1980s and 1990s no doubt remembers the inflated prices of many SNES games, with titles like Killer Instinct and Donkey Kong Country retailing for $79.99 or higher in 1994. Adjusted for inflation, these cartridges would cost roughly $174 in 2025. A bigger question than the future of pricing is perhaps what Nintendo’s strategy is with pricing Mario Kart World as it has, because there’s a distinct possibility its MSRP of $80 is an intentional move to sway consumers toward purchasing the Switch 2 bundle that includes the title for $30 less.

What Are the Exact Specs of the Switch 2’s Internal Components?

Looking outside the more controversial and hot-button issues that raise valid questions about the Switch 2’s launch and future, we have more practical concerns that still haven’t been directly addressed by Nintendo. Namely, there’s still a complete mystery surrounding the official specs of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware. While we know that the unit uses a custom chip developed by Nvidia and can run current gen titles with both ray tracing and frame generation, we don’t have the quantifiable specs on what that chip’s power is or have an idea of how much headroom developers have when it comes to creating new experiences for the Switch 2.

Leaked hardware specs that surfaced online in the weeks preceding the Switch 2’s reveal do seem to hold some water, thanks to the Switch 2’s launch software lineup and hands-on impressions mostly backing up the data. But without an official readout on the Switch 2’s internals, it still amounts to little more than speculation and estimates, where an official benchmark would be preferable. From what’s been shown, though, it seems that the Switch 2 will sit somewhere between the pro versions of an 8th-generation console (such as the PS4 Pro) and the standard editions of a 9th-gen console (like the PS5 or Xbox Series X/S) based on how it handles when running current-gen games. One of the more dependable titles to use as an unofficial benchmark is the Switch 2 edition of Cyberpunk 2077, which apparently runs at 4K 40 FPS when docked and supports ray tracing.

Which Games Will Feature DRM ‘Game Keys’ On Their Cartridges?

Aside from its software’s pricing, one of the more disappointing aspects of the Switch 2 is how it handles physical media. Several first and third-party titles that are coming to the Switch 2 don’t actually include the game’s data on the cartridge. Instead, the physical Switch 2 cartridge acts as a DRM “Game Key” that grants players a license to download and play the title. Not only does this rub players the wrong way from the perspective of media ownership, but it’s also a major step backward for physical game preservation in an increasingly digital age.

The original Switch was no stranger to adopting this same policy when it came to larger games requiring more data than a standard Switch cartridge could hold. But with the Switch 2’s new cartridges supposedly being able to store more data (and, consequently, costing more as a result), you would expect that Nintendo and other third-party publishers could find a way to fit an entire game on a piece of purchasable, physical media instead of selling players a license. One of the bigger lingering questions about the Switch 2’s software lineup is how many games will utilize this DRM “Game Key” feature, especially considering the size of many of these titles’ files on PC and other modern consoles. Will the Switch 2 simply be a machine to facilitate digital licenses, or will players actually own their games outright?

What Is the Extent of Switch 2’s Backward Compatibility?

The final big question over the Switch 2’s software lineup concerns how the new console will handle its touted backward compatibility. According to Nintendo, the Switch 2 will thankfully be backward compatible with both physical and digital games from the original Switch. Notably, there’s an entire webpage devoted to the topic on Nintendo’s site, which includes the following message:

“In addition to Nintendo Switch™ 2 games, Nintendo Switch 2 can play compatible physical and digital games released on the Nintendo Switch™ system.

The Nintendo Switch 2 system’s hardware is different from Nintendo Switch, and some Nintendo Switch games may not be supported on or fully compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.”

The page has some interesting data regarding which games have been identified as being “incompatible”, as well as how many first-party and third-party games will be playable on the Switch 2 on day 1. According to that page, there are already 122 Nintendo first-party Switch games that are playable on the Switch 2, and over 15,000 third-party games that will be playable on the new Switch 2 hardware. Still, it would be nice to have a detailed readout of the games that are and aren’t playable on Switch 2, focusing on first and third-party AAA titles and best-selling indies that players will most likely want to see still playable on a new console.

What Other Games Will Receive Switch 2 Editions?

Aside from backward compatibility, another topic of discussion regarding original Switch games is which titles in the Switch library will receive upgraded Switch 2 Editions. We already know that both the mainline Legend of Zelda games for the Switch will have enhanced Switch 2 Editions on day 1, as well as games like Mario Party Jamboree and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. We also now know that both Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokemon Legends Z-A will launch as cross-platform titles with both an original Switch and Switch 2 versions. The question, then, is which other first party games will receive the same treatment, and will their pricing be consistent.

As it stands currently, owners of the original Switch versions of these titles can pay a flat $10 fee to upgrade to the Switch 2 Editions, which is fairly standard and aligns with how Sony has approached its PS4-to-PS5 upgrades. But whether this remains standard across all Switch 2 Editions of original Switch games remains to be seen. Especially if they opt to include new content or all previously released DLC as “ultimate” editions, it’s not hard to imagine a Switch 2 Edition of an original Switch game costing $70 or $80, and having a one-time upgrade fee for current owners that excedes the current $10 price point.

How Will the Switch 2’s Launch Be Impacted by Ongoing Economic Conditions?

Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Switch 2, especially for those of us who live in North America, is how the current economic turmoil and trade war that the United States is engaging in with China will impact the price of electronics, including Nintendo’s next console. While Nintendo did anticipate the US’s enacting of reciprocal tariffs during Trump’s first term and, as a result, divest much of its manufacturing from China to move into Vietnam and Cambodia, it’s hard to imagine that the tariffs won’t have an impact on both the pricing and availability of the Switch 2.

The decision to pause pre-orders indefinitely in the US means millions of players still have no idea when they can expect to get hold of the Switch 2 outside of waiting in line on launch day. Even then, we still don’t know if the 10% tariff on countries like Japan and Vietnam will have an impact on the Switch 2’s hardware or software pricing. Thankfully, the prospect of a Switch 2 costing somewhere between $600-900 seems to have been temporarily averted for now, but there’s also no guarantee that the current US administration won’t resume those same tariffs after 90 days. This puts consumers in a position where they might be scrambling to get a Switch 2 before an inevitable tariff forces a price hike, making supply even more limited at launch.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.