Digital versions of Nintendo Switch 2 will now cost less than physical copies in the US

Nintendo has confirmed that, starting this spring, some first-party games will be available for a lower price digitally via the eShop compared to their physical releases, beginning with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book.

The details:

• Nintendo of America has updated its support pages to state that, from May 2026, new Nintendo‑published digital titles exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 will carry a different MSRP to their physical counterparts inside the US.
• This change debuts with platformer Yoshi and the Mysterious Book on Switch 2, which is currently listed at $59.99 for its digital edition and $69.99 for the physical release on Nintendo’s own website.
• Originally, it was believed that Nintendo would be raising the prices of physical games, but it has since dismissed this in a new statement provided to IGN, confirming that it is indeed a price decrease for digital titles. "The cost of physical games is not going up,” the statement reads. “This means that when Nintendo sells digital versions of Nintendo-published games exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 to consumers in the U.S., those prices will have an MSRP that is lower than their physical counterparts. Retail partners set their own prices for physical and digital games, and pricing for each title may vary."
• Similar price structures have already been put in place in some regions such as the UK, mainland Europe, and Japan since the Switch 2 launched in 2025, with examples including Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza carrying noticeably higher recommended price tags for physical copies.