Nintendo confirms $80 Switch 2 game price tag and some physical games will be digital download keys

Following yesterday's Nintendo Direct focusing on the Switch 2, the company has confirmed that $80 will be the standard price for some AAA games on the console, with some game cartridges serving as nothing more than digital download keys.

The details:

• Following the Direct, fans noticed that Nintendo's store listings for games like Mario Kart World, as well as the upgraded versions of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, all stated that they would cost a whopping $80. However, Donkey Kong Bananza has a different price for both physical and digital editions, at $70 and $65, respectively, causing confusion as to what determines the difference in price.

• It is unclear how much Nintendo will charge for individual game upgrades for owners of the original Switch 1 games, but it has confirmed that they will be free for Switch Online subscribers.

• Nintendo's website also revealed a new type of physical game cartridge for the Switch 2 called a "Game-Key Card." Game-Key Cards differ from standard cartridges in that they do not contain game files, but rather serve as an activation key for players to download a title from the internet. Although the game is downloaded, the card must still be inserted when playing, and Nintendo has added a white strip to physical games to warn players that they are purchasing a Game-Key Card.

More Switch 2 news:

• Nintendo has revealed the Switch 2's new hardware and software features, which include mouse-like controls, GameChat, and more.

• The Switch 2's revealed game lineup is one of the best we've ever seen for a console launch, featuring a new Mario Kart, Kirby, and an assortment of third-party AAA and indie releases.