Nintendo's Black Friday Deals Skip the Switch 2
Nintendo announced Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for 2025. Good news if you want discounted games. Bad news if you were hoping for a deal on the Nintendo Switch 2 itself.
The system costs $449.99 solo or $499.99 bundled with Mario Kart World. No discounts. Not even a tiny one. Nintendo doesn't do console markdowns during launch year, and they're sticking to that tradition.
What's Actually On Sale
Starting November 23—the week of Thanksgiving—select retailers will discount certain games. Not everything, just specific titles Nintendo decided to mark down.
Games dropping to $49.99:
Princess Peach: Showtime!
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
Luigi's Mansion 3
Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe
Games dropping to $29.99:
Super Mario Odyssey
Nintendo Switch Sports
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Splatoon 3
Super Mario Odyssey came out in 2017 and Nintendo's finally discounting it to $29.99. It only took eight years. That's Nintendo pricing strategy in a nutshell.
Why No Switch 2 Discount
The Switch 2 launched in June. Five months ago. Nintendo doesn't discount hardware that new, especially when demand is strong.
The original Switch took years before seeing any meaningful price cuts. The Switch 2 follows the same playbook. Want one? Pay full price or wait until 2027.
The $449.99 price point already sparked complaints when announced. Adding $50 for Mario Kart World in a bundle doesn't soften the blow much for people who wanted a different game or already own it.
What Switch 2 Actually Offers
The updated console has a larger 7.9-inch screen with 1080p resolution. The original Switch topped out at 720p handheld. The new system also outputs 4K on compatible TVs when docked, a massive upgrade from the original's 1080p max.
Graphics capabilities improved significantly. Updated versions of original Switch games look and play better on the new hardware. Not shocking—that's how console upgrades work.
The Joy-Con2 controllers use magnetic connectors instead of the slide mechanism from the original. They can also function as a mouse in compatible games, which seems gimmicky until you actually use it for certain titles.
Switch 2 Exclusive Games
Some games only run on the Switch 2, not the original:
Donkey Kong Bananza
Mario Kart World
Hades II
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Kirby Air Riders releases later this month. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond drops December 4.
The improved hardware means sports games previously unavailable on Switch now work. Madden NFL 26 runs on Switch 2 but couldn't run on the original because the hardware wasn't powerful enough.
The Reality Check
Black Friday used to mean real console discounts. Not anymore, at least not for new systems. Companies learned they don't need to discount hardware during launch year because people buy it anyway.
Nintendo especially doesn't budge on pricing. The original Switch launched at $299.99 in 2017 and stayed there for years. Minor bundles appeared but no actual price drops until the system was ancient by gaming standards.
Switch 2 follows the same pattern. Launch at $449.99, hold that price for at least two years, maybe offer a game bundle down the road, eventually drop to $399.99 when the next console is already in development.
Game discounts are fine if you want those specific titles. Princess Peach and Zelda at $49.99 beats full price. Super Mario Odyssey at $29.99 is reasonable for an eight-year-old game.
But if you're waiting for Black Friday to grab a discounted Switch 2, keep waiting. It's not happening this year.
Should You Buy Anyway?
Depends what you want. If you own the original Switch and it works fine, waiting makes sense unless you desperately need those Switch 2 exclusives or better graphics.
If you don't own a Switch at all, the Switch 2 makes sense despite no discount. Better to buy the newer system than save nothing on the original since Nintendo doesn't discount that either.
The $499.99 bundle with Mario Kart World only makes sense if you actually want Mario Kart World. Otherwise you're paying $50 for a game you'll ignore.
Black Friday game deals are legitimate but nothing special. Those same games will hit similar prices during other sales throughout the year. Nintendo rotates which titles get discounted, so if you miss these, different games will go on sale later.
The Bottom Line
Nintendo announced Black Friday deals. The deals involve games, not hardware. Switch 2 costs $449.99 whether you buy it in November, December, or March.
Select games drop to $49.99 or $29.99 starting November 23 at participating retailers. That's the extent of Nintendo's Black Friday generosity this year.
Did you find this information useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline to share with your friends.