If you want a Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, buy them separately before September 1. You will pay less than Nintendo's new bundle asks, and the gap is bigger than the bundle's advertised discount.
The Switch 2's suggested retail price goes from $449.99 to $499.99 on Monday. Nintendo confirmed the increase in a price revision notice and has been advertising it on in-store demo kiosks.
Two new bundles arrive after that. The Mario Kart World Bundle is $549.99 in late September, and the Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle is $529.99 on October 22. Both include a digital copy of the game and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online membership.
The math
Nintendo advertises $37.98 in savings on the Mario Kart World bundle. That figure is correct, and it only works after Monday.
Here is where the numbers come from. A $499.99 console, a $79.99 digital copy of Mario Kart World, and a $7.99 three-month NSO membership total $587.97. Subtract the $549.99 bundle price and you get exactly $37.98.
Now run the same three items at today's prices.
| Buy now (before Sept 1) | Mario Kart World Bundle | |
|---|---|---|
| Console | $449.99 | — |
| Mario Kart World (digital) | $79.99 | — |
| 3-month NSO | $7.99 | — |
| Total | $537.97 | $549.99 |
Assembling the bundle yourself this week costs $12.02 less than the bundle will. The savings Nintendo is advertising are real, but they are savings against a price that does not exist yet.
The Sports Resort bundle works the same way. At $529.99 with a $49.99 game included, buying the parts today runs $507.97, or $22.02 less.
You can do better on the game
Mario Kart World's digital price is $79.99 and has not moved. The physical copy is $69.99 at Amazon, and physical is the only version you can resell or lend.
Console plus a physical cart this week comes to $519.98. That is $30.01 under the bundle, and you still own something you can trade later.
Skip the NSO line if you already subscribe. Nintendo counts it toward the bundle's value whether you need it or not.
What the bundle is actually good for
The bundles are not a bad deal on their own terms. After September 1 they genuinely undercut buying the same items separately, which is the entire point of a bundle, and the digital copy means nothing to lose or scratch.
They also do not exist yet. The Mario Kart World bundle is a late-September product and the Sports Resort bundle is not out until October 22, so waiting for either means paying the higher console price if the bundle sells out or you change your mind.
The one group that should wait: anyone who wants Nintendo Switch Sports Resort specifically. That game is not out yet, and its bundle is the only way to get it packaged with hardware.
The dates that matter
September 1 is the price change. Late September brings the Mario Kart World bundle. October 22 brings Sports Resort.
Nintendo has not said whether bundle pricing moves again after launch, and the company's May financial results presentation noted the September increase would not cover all of its rising costs, which leaves the door open. We'll update this page if the numbers change.
