Nintendo Charges Higher Prices for Switch 2 Game Upgrades

Nintendo has confirmed that upgrading certain Switch games to their Switch 2 versions will cost more than previously expected.

While upgrading The Legend of Zelda games costs $9.99, both Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree will require $19.99 to upgrade from the original Switch versions.

As reported by NintendoLife & IGN, these upgrade packs are scheduled for release soon, with Super Mario Party Jamboree's upgrade coming on July 7 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land following on August 28.

The higher price point seems to reflect the additional content included in these upgrades. Kirby and the Forgotten Land's Switch 2 Edition comes with a new "Star-Crossed World" story expansion. Meanwhile, Super Mario Party Jamboree's upgrade includes "Jamboree TV," a new feature that takes advantage of the Switch 2's hardware improvements, including Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, the console's microphone, and compatibility with the separately sold USB-C camera.

On the UK Nintendo eShop, the upgrades are listed at £16.99/€19.99 each.

The total cost for new players is also noteworthy. The complete Switch 2 Editions of both Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree are priced at $79.99 each. This represents a $20 increase over their original Switch versions, which sell for $59.99.

For players who already own the original games, purchasing the $19.99 upgrade will bring their total investment to the same $80 price point as buying the complete Switch 2 Edition outright.

By comparison, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's Switch 2 Edition is priced at $69.99, while Tears of the Kingdom's Switch 2 Edition costs $79.99. The Zelda upgrades focus primarily on visual and performance improvements, along with support for the new "Zelda Notes" feature in the Nintendo Switch Online app.

It's worth noting that Nintendo Switch Online and Expansion Pack subscribers can access both Zelda upgrade packs at no additional cost. However, as of now, no similar offer exists for players hoping to upgrade Kirby or Super Mario Party Jamboree.

These pricing announcements come as Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders have already begun, with the console itself priced at $449.99. Pre-orders opened on April 24 and quickly sold out at major retailers. Nintendo has even issued a warning to Japanese customers who pre-ordered through the My Nintendo Store that release date delivery cannot be guaranteed due to extremely high demand.