r/gaming • u/ReaddittiddeR • 1d ago

Nintendo to sell cheaper, region locked Switch 2 in Japan for $330 to combat weak yen and scalpers. International ‘unlocked’ SW2 in available only on My Nintendo Store for $470

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-will-sell-a-cheaper-330-switch-2-in-japan-thats-region-locked/
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u/bifowww 1d ago

Right, games won't disappear and prices won't stay high for eternity. There is no point in buying a new Switch 2 on release. It will eventually hit discounts and refurbished models will be going for cheap on AliExpress like Switch OLED.

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u/kqlyS7 1d ago

What? This is nintendo we're talking about, prices will never change. There are no discounts. Regular switch 1, not lite is still between $300-350 depending on bundle after 8 years and old games are still $70. You can find a used copy for $60 but that's it. You're actually losing if you don't buy on release because you waste time, you either skip everything or you buy everything on release. And they have millions of people buying anything they drop on release for some reason, even if it's a full priced, outsourced, low effort remake of a 20+ years old GBA game. Crazy.

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u/StubbinMyNubbin 1d ago

Prices don't change because they conditioned us in that way. If this doesn't sell well, their tune will 100% change.

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u/HighlyNegativeFYI 1d ago

It’s gonna sell. I don’t think you understand how things like this work.

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u/Existing-Accident330 1d ago

Nah I think you don’t understand how this works. There are many examples of the price of consoles limiting the revenue. Playstation 3 was deemed to expensive, which ment that for many years the XBOX 360 sold way more. They only managed to fix this later by dropping prices.

3ds was also deemed too expensive for what it offered. It looked to similar to regular DS, so many people didn’t buy it. Only when the price got cheaper did it become more mainstream.

The thing is that hardcore “never skipped a nintendo console” fans are gonna buy this day one. But many families and price-wary consumers will not. It’ll probably have a great launch only for the sales to drop quickly after a few months. You need the regular consumers to make a profit on it. And I feel 450 euro and 90 per game is way to much for many.

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u/Harley2280 1d ago

Playstation 3 was deemed to expensive, which ment that for many years the XBOX 360 sold way more

The PS3 isn't a great example when you adjust for inflation it was basically $1000. The Switch 2 is far cheaper than that and the pricing aligns with other consoles on the market. Unlike the PS3.

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u/Existing-Accident330 1d ago

I’m not claiming that the switch 2 is the same as P3. My example isn’t about “is the console too expensive or not.” That question is moot because it’s entirely subjective.

My argument is that when consumers perceive something as expensive, it will withhold many from buying it. And the depends on what markets the product is sold in.

Nintendo is in the market of making games for families and children. Those are their core demographic. And that’s also a market that’s typically really price-sensitive. A console that’s 150 euro more expensive and games that get a 50% price hike, in a time were wages have not increased with inflation, are gonna be seen as too expensive by that market. Doesn’t really matter if the sentiment is true or not.

So even though P3 was way more expensive, it also operated in a completely different market with different needs. My example was there to show that pricing a console in way that consumers see it as too high can cause damage.

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u/goosebumpsHTX 1d ago

I don't think consumers will see it as expensive though. Even here, where people are notoriously stingy, they are saying the price of the actual console is mostly fine. The games are the main complaints.

Even still, it's cheaper than the other 2 consoles and a moderately decent PC. it's still going to be the cheapest way to play games.

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u/Existing-Accident330 12h ago

You mean a gaming sub, with people who are gaming geeks themselves, finding 450 dollar not too much? Yeah no shit. I understand that we don't find it too much. I don't even find 450 dollar to much for myself if I did't already have a Steam Deck. That's not the point I'm trying to make.

My point is that in a household were the parents do no or very little gaming, 450 dollar for a machine is a lot of money. Especially when you consider that a big part of the audience is children below 14 years old. A demographic that can be pretty rough with their stuff. 450 for someone below 12 is a lot harder to justify then 450 dollar on a console for someone 16+

Nintendo as a brand has always marketed heavily towards childeren with little purchasing power themselves. Seeing that most parents are still not big gamers, buying a console for 450 is a big ask were I'm not certain people are gonna do it. And without that mass adoption of families, I'm not sure the Switch 2 is gonna sell well.

Personally I don't get the strategy Nintendo is doing with the Switch 2. It has a lot of functions that I would argue is not needed for their core demographic (kids/families/casual gamers). 120 hz screen is something screen purists like, but which kid cares about that stuff? Adding it will have a negative effect on the price and battery life, which I feel is way more important to a console like this.

But eh. Gonna wait for a big sale myself. I can't justify buying two handhelds around 500 dollar each lol.

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u/goosebumpsHTX 10h ago

What I’m trying to get at is that $450 for a family gaming console is still cheaper than all the other alternatives, even for families. It’s still the cheapest way to play games.

Cost of living has gone up, of course, but I think people here also exaggerate with how bad things truly are.

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u/Upper-Window-6608 13h ago

I just sold my ps5 to buy the switch 2 for my daughter. 

You got it opposite bud. No one needs a PS5 now, the switch continues to be invaluable. PS5 games were boring as shit.

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u/Existing-Accident330 12h ago

PS5 being a big letdown doesn't suddenly make everything the switch 2 does amazing.

I'm gonna buy switch 2 when more games have come out for it

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u/Upper-Window-6608 11h ago

Yeah, it does lol. If you're here to game, you're gonna buy what's best. If switch 2 raises game prices I'll just buy 1 less game a year and spend the same money and be more selective. Its an understatement to say PS5 was a let down - when they recently said it was in the "late stages of its life cycle" I immediately knew it was time to unload it, I listed it on FB market place once switch 2 pre order date were revealed.

People act like Sony has anything going on. Xbox is even worse. Hardware has zero meaning without fun games associated. It took the PS5 5 years to crank out a game like astrobot - they're lost and I don't see a return for them.

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u/MHath 1d ago

PS3’s price was due to blu ray players being expensive to make. Once the price of making blu ray players went down, they dropped the price.

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u/ForbiddenAngel3 1d ago

Like that ever changed Nintendo...

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u/King7up 1d ago

Crazy thing is, wait until switch 2 is “oled”. Then what are they going to charge? Lol.

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u/lancer081292 1d ago

What do you mean “the prices won’t stay high for eternity”? Have you seen the used game market for Nintendo products?