Ahead of price rises, Nintendo announce a custom Switch 2 bundle with one of three hit games

The Nintendo Switch 2 is seeing a price rise this September (in Japan the price is going up sooner at the end of May) — so, in an effort to juice hardware sales ahead of that increase, Nintendo today announced a smart ‘choose your own’ bundle. It’s an offer that sees the console offered along with one of three hit games — namely Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and the hugely successful spin off Pokemon Pokopia.

I think it’s fairly clear Nintendo tried to fight putting up the cost of the main Switch 2 hardware. They had plenty of inventory pre-launch, with units in stock and ready to go to help weather the storm for as long as possible. They also tried tinkering around the edges with changes to accessory pricing and software price points. But it seems reality caught up with them last week, when during their latest earnings briefing the company announced, with some regret, that they would be upping the price.

With a new platform to establish, this problem hits Nintendo in a way that’s unique to them. Although Sony and Microsoft have made similar pricing moves, it doesn’t come during the first year of launching new hardware. Making the case to consumers for buying a Switch 2 is not made any easier by unattractive price hikes.

As such, this Choose Your Game bundle seems like a really smart play. The promotion kicks off in early June in the U.S. — just as kids break up for having their summer vacation and will “be available for a limited time at participating retailers” “while supplies last“. I imagine it may end, or at least change, come September when the price increase on hardware comes into effect.

Nintendo notes that this bundle offers folks a roughly $30 saving over buying the console and game separately.

No matter which bundle you opt for, the supplied game will be a download code. I reckon Pokopia is going to be the top pick here.