The big picture: Nintendo's first-party lineup for the Switch 2 has not only embraced the trend toward $70 games, but some titles also push the price to $80, including upgraded versions of titles that initially launched on the original Switch years ago. Several factors are likely involved, including manufacturing costs, additional content, and tariffs. One of the most shocking announcements from Nintendo's Switch 2 unveiling is that the flagship launch title, Mario Kart World, will retail for $80. The increased pricing also applies to enhanced versions of Super Mario Party Jamboree, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The previous Zelda title, Breath of the Wild, also received a price hike to $70.Third-party titles show more varied pricing. Street Fighter 6, which includes two season passes, will retail at $60. Square Enix will also release a remaster of Bravely Default for $40, the same price as the 2013 3DS version. Notably, the two games come in empty cards serving as physically transferable license keys for digital downloads.Nintendo's scheme for upgrading older Switch titles to take advantage of the Switch 2's superior hardware partially explains some of the new prices. Similar to cross-generation or remastered titles on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, users who purchase games for the original Switch can receive improved Switch 2 versions, but Nintendo's take is more complex.Microsoft and most third-party developers release upgrade patches for free, while Sony charges $10 to upgrade first-party PlayStation 4 games to PS5. Some Switch games will receive free patches to improve the resolution and framerate, such as Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario 3D World, and Pokmon Scarlet and Violet. However, upgrades for games like Tears of the Kingdom, Breath of the Wild, Jamboree, Civilization VII, and other titles, called "Nintendo Switch 2 Editions," are paid.Nintendo didn't specify the price for Switch-to-Switch 2 conversions, but the difference between the MSRP for each generation suggests that it might vary based on what the enhanced editions add. The Zelda games, offering improved graphics and performance, cost $10 more on Switch 2, so a $10 upgrade fee would be unsurprising. Meanwhile, Jamboree and Kirby are $20 more expensive on the new console, likely because they include expansion packs. // Related StoriesFurthermore, inflation alone could account for most or all of the differences between AAA games that sold for $70 a few years ago and $80 Switch 2 games in 2025. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $70 in 2021 or 2022, when publishers began adopting the price point, could equal between $75 and $80 today.Nintendo also likely aims to offset tariffs and rising console manufacturing costs with pricier games. Anticipation of looming U.S. tariffs almost certainly influenced the decision to sell the Switch 2 for $450 and games for $80. However, on the same day Nintendo unveiled the console's launch lineup and price, President Trump announced sweeping duties that were probably far worse than the company anticipated.The 24% tariff on Nintendo's home country, Japan, and 46% tax on goods from Vietnam, where the firm shifted Switch 2 manufacturing to avoid anti-Chinese duties, could be particularly troublesome. Nintendo has likely already shipped many units into the U.S. ahead of the tariffs, and Trump has wavered on the practice before, but the company is seemingly hedging its bets in an increasingly chaotic market.Avoiding tariffs by building Switch 2s in the U.S. is also untenable. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad estimates that building factories and hiring personnel might take five years, and American-made consoles would probably still cost more. Additionally, tech supply chains run through numerous countries targeted by the new tariffs, which could compound on each other.It remains unclear how, if, or when the video game industry will respond. A heavier focus on digital marketplaces (where Nintendo still charges $80 for some games) would be unsurprising.