Nintendo has revealed prices for the its peripherals for the upcoming Switch game console, and the prices aren’t cheap. While the base console costs $300 when it ships on March 3, the accessories can bring the cost up quite a bit.
The $300 price itself is the same as what the Wii U cost at launch in 2012, but it’s more expensive than the original Wii, which debuted for $250 in 2006. The Switch has only 32GB of storage, and gamers may have to spend money in the future on more space (it uses microSD cards).
“This is not an impulse purchase or as cheap as other recent Nintendo consoles and at this price point Nintendo will be competing with existing consoles and tablets,” said analyst Piers Harding-Rolls at IHS Markit. “As a result, communicating the unique aspects of the Switch — particularly the capabilities of the Joy-Con controllers — and its exclusive content through marketing spend will be key to gaining market traction.”
But the sticker shock really sets in with the controller gear. An extra Joy-Con controller will be $80. You can split the controller into two parts that can be purchased separately, for $50 each. The Joy-Con controller Charging Grip also costs $30. That means the overall cost of a new Joy-Con controller and charging grip is $110.
“My biggest concern is the price: $299 without a game is on the high end of expectations,” said Serkan Toto, game industry analyst. “There has been some hope that the games would be moderately priced [somewhere between 3DS and Wii U game prices], but that’s not the case. Add to this the very expensive accessories, and you have one high barrier to overcome for mainstream users.”
Nintendo did note that it is possible for two people to play at once, with the two mini Joy-Con controllers, without the need to buy that second controller.
You can also buy a separate Pro Controller, which is more like a traditional game controller, for $70. This pricing is on par with PlayStation 4 and Xbox One controllers at launch.
If you decided to buy a second Nintendo Switch Dock, which charges the tablets and hooks to the TV, that will cost $90. It comes with an AC adapter and a HDMI cable.