2 min readSoon after the hour-long Nintendo Direct gave us a long-awaited deep-dive on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, pre-orders for the console went live at a handful of Australian retailers, like EB Games, JB Hi-Fi, Big W and more. At launch, pricing is almost unanimous across the board: $699 for the Nintendo Switch 2 console. With that said, you can save a little scratch with the Mario Kart World bundle.
Here's how much you can expect to spend on the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of its release in June.
The Nintendo Switch 2 is a little more expensive than most were expecting. Starting at $699 in Australia for the console itself, the Switch 2 is $160 more than the premium Switch OLED model that released in October 2021 and $270 more than the original Nintendo Switch that launched back in 2017.
At launch, there aren't any major deals for the Switch 2. Each retailer is offering pre-orders at the same price point. You can, however, save roughly $39 by nabbing the Mario Kart World + Switch 2 bundle for $769.
Product | Price | More info | |
 | Nintendo Switch 2 Console | $699 | Pre-order at Big W |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mario Kart World + Switch 2 Bundle | $769 | Pre-order at Big W |
Even we couldn’t predict just how expensive the Switch 2 would be, here’s what we said before the pricing was officially announced:
"It doesn’t feel impossible that the Switch 2 could launch in Australia for as little as $499 but in our opinion it feels just as much if not more likely that it’ll sit just above the price of the Switch OLED at closer to $549 or potentially as high as $599."
One of the downsides of Nintendo meeting PlayStation and Xbox where they're at is its eagerness to match their pricing on marquee launch titles. You can expect to pay over $100 for exclusive Nintendo Switch 2 games in Australia. Switch 1 games that have been updated for the Switch 2 will still fetch a premium price too.
There's one small caveat working in your favour. If you're a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber and you already own a copy of one of Nintendo's Switch Two-ified games, you'll score the upgrade for free. If you don't already own it, you'll pay full price for the Switch 2 version when it releases.
One of the perks of the Nintendo Switch 2 is its new magnetic Joy-con controllers and a fresh focus on online gaming. The new 'C' button on the Joy-Con 2 and the Switch Pro Controller 2 enables in-game chat features that have long been confined to a smartphone app.
As a generational leap and not a mid-gen upgrade (like the PS5 Pro,) the Nintendo Switch 2 comes with a lot of optional accessories at an extra cost. Here's everything that was announced for pre-order:
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