Since the announcement of the Nintendo Switch 2, and especially its price, gamers have been debating the console's real usefulness and wondering about their purchasing intentions. Even games aren't spared from inflation, with physical cartridges costing €90 for premium games, and €80 for digital ones. What about the Switch 2 Edition?
These improved versions of existing games on Nintendo Switch are mainly next-gen upgrades, such as those seen on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Nintendo confirmed today that not only are these updates being sold at almost full price, but that you will also have to repurchase the DLC if you want them on your console. This is the case for Zelda Breath of the Wild, which many players are waiting for in its Switch 2 version. In a press release sent to IGN, the company declared:
“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not include the DLC from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass. This DLC can nevertheless be purchased separately.”
A slight problem of scale
It was certainly not mentioned anywhere that DLC would be part of the package when the Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild was announced. But with its price of 59.90 euros 8 years after its release, players were expecting some sort of Ultimate Edition, with all the content released so far, in addition to technical and visual improvements. Given the success of Breath of the Wild, it's unlikely this will affect a huge number of players.
Overall, the game's approximately 30 million owners will be able to upgrade for a "barely any price" of around 10 euros. Add that to the 60 euros already spent on the base game and the 20 euros for the expansion, and the total cost is 90 euros. For Nintendo, Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition, or any Switch 2 version of a title that has been around for almost 8 years, is worth the same as a brand-new game, natively exploiting all the features of the next generation.
While there isn't much compassion for gamers' wallets, Nintendo is at least showing consistency with its pricing. It remains to be seen whether this will become the norm in the video game industry and whether this is just the beginning of a great revolution.
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