Why Are Most Nintendo Switch Games Priced at $60?

The standard $59.99 price tag seen on most new Nintendo Switch game releases has remained surprisingly consistent over the last 15+ years across the industry. As the first Nintendo console to feature cutting-edge HD graphics powered by NVIDIA components, one may expect the Nintendo Switch to command premium software pricing compared to past generations. However, various factors have contributed to keeping costs locked at the $60 level that consumers have come to expect.

A Brief History of Nintendo Console Game Pricing

Nintendo has a long legacy of driving video game innovation, nostalgia, and premium pricing models. Looking back at standard new release costs across past Nintendo consoles helps provide context around the company‘s pricing philosophy:

Data compiled from IGN and Quora

Adjusted for inflation, the real cost of Nintendo games has trended downward over the last 30+ years. What once cost the equivalent of over $100 on NES now sits at $60 for Switch.

While Nintendo sustains premium pricing models compared to competitors, they have resisted raising the perceived-value standard cost beyond $60 – until now with the upcoming Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom priced at $69.99.

Why Does Nintendo Keep Prices Locked at $60?

Several factors allow Nintendo to maintain the long-standing $60 MSRP for first-party Switch releases:

1. Brand Loyalty & Trust

Nintendo consoles and exclusive IP like Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon continue building goodwill and trust across generations of gamers. Fans happily pay premium prices knowing the high quality they can expect from Nintendo‘s polish and pedigree.

2. Focus on Evergreen Titles

Rather than constantly churning out new releases, Nintendo sustains long-tail revenue by keeping even decade-old games at full price. For example, despite launching on Wii U in 2013, a port of Super Mario 3D World still sold over 6 million additional units priced at $59.99.

3. Backwards Compatibility

Each new Nintendo console maintains compatibility with the entire legacy software library. This emphasis on backwards compatibility sustains demand for ports, remasters, and re-releases of older games at premium price points.

How Does Switch Pricing Compare to Other Consoles?

The $60 standard remains mostly consistent across Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox – until now. With the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S representing a major technical leap in GPU, CPU, and SSD performance, both Sony and Microsoft have gradually raised prices to $69.99 for first-party next-gen exclusives.

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With more advanced capabilities comes growing budgets – average development costs for PS5 and Xbox Series X games now exceed $200 million. While Nintendo funds ambitious games like Breath of the Wild, their focused first-party development workflow sustains reasonable budgets around $70 – $100 million.

Data sources: ScreenRant, VG247

Strategies for Buying Switch Games Cheaper

Savvy Nintendo fans have several options to cut costs on Switch software:

• Buy Used Physical Copies – Used Switch game cards can be purchased at steep discounts to retail pricing from resellers.
• Split or Share Costs – Borrow, trade, or take turns on games with friends.
• Shop Sales on eShop Download Codes – Occasional digital discounts can cut up to 30% off full-price titles.
• Subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online – For just $20/year, access an expanding library of NES & SNES classics.

The days of brand new first-party Nintendo games priced below $60 now seem rare outside occasional retailer sales. While Switch game costs stay consistent for now, the upcoming higher $69.99 MSRP on Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom signals shifts in Nintendo‘s once steadfast standard pricing adherences.

But for fans seeking to relive the magic of Mario, Zelda, and decades of Nintendo IP both new and old, the premium cost remains gladly justified.