Nintendo Switch 2 Marks 1 Year With 25-Game Launch and Price Pressures

3 articles · Updated · Nintendo Life · Jun 5

June 5 marks Switch 2’s first anniversary, capping a launch year that began with 25 games and expanded through a steady mix of Nintendo exclusives, major ports and day-and-date third-party releases.
Nintendo navigated that year amid US tariffs, global economic uncertainty, memory-supply strain and rising prices, all of which complicated a hardware rollout following the company’s best-selling original Switch.
Standout software included Mario Kart World at launch, Donkey Kong Bananza in July, Hollow Knight: Silksong in September, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond in December and Pokémon Pokopia in March, which the report says became Pokémon’s highest-rated game ever.
The review also highlights recurring friction points around $80 game pricing, Game-Key Cards, limited dev-kit access and later Switch 2 price hikes, even as features such as performance boosts for Switch 1 games broadened the console’s appeal.
Looking ahead, Nintendo’s second year lineup includes The Adventures of Elliot and Star Fox in June, Splatoon Raiders in July and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 in October, with more unannounced holiday releases seen as important if prices keep rising.