Nintendo has announced two new Switch 2 bundles landing this autumn — and the timing is pointed. With a $50 price increase taking effect on September 1, these bundles are the company’s first official hardware packages to arrive after the console crosses the $500 threshold. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about picking up a Switch 2, the next few days are genuinely your last chance to get in at the cheaper price before these bundles become your best option.
Both packages were confirmed by Nintendo on August 25, and they cover two of the platform’s biggest upcoming multiplayer titles: Mario Kart World — which already launched with the console and has since sold over 15 million copies — and Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, the brand-new sports game arriving in late October.
The Two New Switch 2 Bundles Explained
Here’s exactly what each bundle includes and what it’ll cost you:
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle — $549.99 (Late September)
This is a revised version of the Mario Kart World bundle that launched alongside the console in June 2025. The package includes a Nintendo Switch 2 system, a code for a digital version of Mario Kart World, and a 3-month (90-day) Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership for $549.99 — a savings of $37.98 compared to purchasing each item individually at the new post-hike prices.
It’s worth being clear about what makes this different from the original launch bundle. The original 2025 bundle did not include a Nintendo Switch Online membership, so the comparison is not entirely 1:1 — the NSO sub (normally $8 for 90 days) is a genuine addition. That said, the headline price is $50 higher than what launch buyers paid, reflecting the console’s new MSRP.
Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle — $529.99 (October 22)
The Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle will be available from October 22 for $529.99. It includes the Nintendo Switch 2 system, a digital copy of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership, with Nintendo stating that customers save $27.98 compared with purchasing the items separately.
The October 22 date is significant — the Sports Resort bundle releases on October 22, the same day as the game’s launch, so it’s a true day-one package for anyone who wants both at once. The game itself will effectively cost around $50 when purchased this way, which is below full retail price for a new Switch 2 title.
What Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Actually Is
If you’re not familiar with Sports Resort, it’s the newest entry in the Nintendo Switch Sports series and a direct successor to the beloved Wii Sports Resort from 2009. The game takes players to Wuhu Island, a sporting retreat home to all sorts of activities. You can customise your own Sportsmate or Mii character and enjoy 12 different sports utilizing intuitive motion controls — including leisure sports like Prop Plane and Power Cruising, or competitive options like Boxing, Archery, Bowling, and Thumb Wrestling.
Wuhu Island has a lot of nostalgia attached to it for anyone who grew up with Wii Sports Resort, and the inclusion of 12 sports at launch — some of them genuinely new — makes this a strong multiplayer package for families and casual players. The Switch 2’s improved Joy-Con 2 controllers with better motion tracking should make the sports feel noticeably tighter than their Wii-era counterparts.
The Real Math: Should You Buy Now or Wait?
This is the question that actually matters, and the honest answer is that if you were going to buy a Switch 2 at any point this year, buying before September 1 is still the smarter move financially. Here’s why:
Right now, the Switch 2 is $449.99. Mario Kart World retails for $79.99. A 90-day Switch Online membership is $7.99. Put those three together and you’re looking at roughly $537.97 before tax — that’s still cheaper than the $549.99 Mario Kart World bundle that arrives in late September, and you get a physical copy of the game rather than a digital download code.
If you’re specifically interested in Sports Resort, the bundle maths are a bit tighter. The October 22 package at $529.99 represents a genuine deal once the $499.99 console price is locked in, since you’re effectively paying around $22 for the game and getting three months of NSO included. But you’ll still be paying more than someone who bought the console at launch in June 2025.
The key variable is whether you’d rather have the flexibility to choose your own game versus the fixed pairing the bundles offer. Both bundles include digital copies only — there are no disc versions of either game included — so if you’re a physical media collector, these aren’t your packages anyway.
The Global Price Hike Picture
The Switch 2’s price increase on September 1 isn’t happening in isolation — it’s part of a broader hardware pricing wave that’s hit every major gaming platform over the past year. Nintendo will raise the Switch 2’s UK price to £419.99 on September 1, up from £395.99. Sony moved on PlayStation 5 pricing most recently on April 2, 2026, pushing the standard UK disc console from £479.99 to £569.99. Microsoft followed on August 1, 2026, raising Xbox Series X prices across the UK and Europe by as much as £170.
That shortage traces back to memory chip demand from AI data centers, which manufacturers have blamed for rising DRAM costs across the consumer electronics industry. Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft have all cited comparable supply pressures when explaining their increases — it’s not a Nintendo-specific situation, even if the timing of this announcement makes it feel acute for Switch 2 buyers right now.
In Europe, the Switch 2 moves from €469.99 to €499.99 on the same date. Ireland follows the same Euro adjustment. Nintendo gave the most consumer-friendly lead time of any of the three platform holders — Nintendo announced sweeping price hikes for the Switch 2 back in May, and while the new prices have already been applied in Japan, this will not hit Western markets until September 1, 2026. That’s several months of warning, which is notably more notice than Sony or Microsoft gave their customers for equivalent increases.
The Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 — What We Know
There’s one more hardware story circling around the Switch 2 right now that’s worth flagging for anyone considering their options. Images of what appear to be a 40th anniversary Legend of Zelda-themed Switch 2 were shared online, and if real, it’s an absolute beauty. The leaked images showed a Triforce-adorned console and a matching Pro Controller, and the community response has been significant enough that an official announcement feels likely in the relatively near future.
The catch is obvious: any special edition Zelda console will launch after September 1, meaning it’ll be priced at the new $499.99 base and likely carry a premium on top of that for the limited edition design. If you’re holding out specifically for the Zelda hardware, be prepared to pay more than a standard console buyer and to wait for an official announcement that hasn’t arrived yet.
The timing suggests Nintendo may be planning to reveal the Zelda 40th anniversary hardware alongside — or just ahead of — the Ocarina of Time remake, which is confirmed to arrive before the end of 2026. If you’re a Zelda fan with patience and a flexible budget, waiting might be worth it. If you just want a Switch 2 to play good games on, buying now is the cleaner financial decision.
Is Now the Right Time to Buy a Switch 2?
Here’s the simple version: if you want a Switch 2 and you’re going to buy one anyway, doing it before September 1 at $449.99 gives you the lowest price you’re going to see for the standard console for the foreseeable future. According to Nintendo’s latest financial data, Switch 2 had reached 23.68 million worldwide hardware sales by June 30, 2026 — and Mario Kart World remains the machine’s biggest software hit, with 15.39 million copies sold by June 30. Demand is clearly healthy, and Nintendo isn’t showing any signs of reducing the price any time soon.
If you’ve already missed that window by the time you read this, the Sports Resort bundle on October 22 is the more compelling of the two post-hike packages — it’s the lower price point and bundles a brand-new game that won’t have been available cheaper anywhere else yet. The Mario Kart World bundle is solid value if you haven’t bought MKW yet, but given how long that game has been available, there’s a decent chance it goes on sale independently before long.
Either way, Nintendo’s autumn lineup is genuinely strong — Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, the continuing rollout of third-party support, and an Ocarina of Time remake on the horizon make this a solid time to be a Switch 2 owner.
For more gaming news, check out our coverage of the RDR2 Nuevo Paraiso Forgotten Frontier Mexico mod, or take a look at our piece on Baldur’s Gate 3’s Astarion novel Gur backstory being removed by WotC.
