‘Tears of the Kingdom’ Is the Most Expensive Nintendo Switch Game Ever. Here’s Why

You may have noticed that “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” is more expensive than other new-release Switch games, coming in hot at $89.95 on the Nintendo eShop. That puts it $10 above most major Switch releases, which consistently cost $79.95 at launch. But according to the head of Nintendo USA, Doug Bowser, this isn’t cozzie livs coming for our games. He says the higher price is simply because “Tears of the Kingdom” is just that good.

“We look at what the game has to offer,” Bowser told AP News. “I think fans will find this an incredibly full, deeply immersive experience. The price point reflects the type of experience that fans can expect when it comes to playing this particular game.”

That matches what we heard from Nintendo earlier in the year when they said the almost-$90 price tag wouldn’t be the new norm. But they also didn’t rule out charging this much for other games in the future. Moving forward, the price of Switch games will be determined on a case-by-case basis, so if there are other games of the size and scope of “Tears of the Kingdom”, expect a similarly hefty cost.

“Tears of the Kingdom” is the largest first-party Switch game ever with an 18.2GB download. For reference: “Breath of the Wild” is only 14.4GB. Of course, download size only accounts for quantity, but it also looks like “Tears of the Kingdom” will be a big step up in terms of quality, too. It’ll reuse the “BOTW” map but expand it vertically in both directions, with Link taking to the sky and (according to a theory based on what we’ve seen in the trailers) underground. Link’s also got a suite of new crafting skills thanks to his magical arm, which seems to take the place of the Sheikah Slate. Whether it’s thanks to the arm or something else, at least some of his runic abilities from “BOTW” have also gotten an upgrade.

“The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” release date is May 12. The collector’s edition comes with a physical copy of the game and a SteelBox case, an artbook, an ICONART steel poster, and a 4-piece pin set. It costs $189 and pre-orders are open in Australia.

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