Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 is Expensive

Even though The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a launch title for the original Nintendo Switch all the way back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game costs a whopping $69.99. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was a cross-gen game available for both Wii U and Nintendo Switch. It earned widespread critical acclaim and quickly became one of the highest-rated games ever made.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was also a massive sales success for Nintendo. And while the company used to have a tradition of re-releasing its bestsellers at lower prices, like with GameCube’s Player’s Choice line, it didn’t do that much at all during the Nintendo Switch era. This is underlined by the upcoming re-release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a Nintendo Switch launch game that will also be getting a Switch 2 Edition at launch will be retailing for $69.99 – a full $9.99 more expensive than what the game is being sold for on the OG Switch.

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How Zelda: Breath of the Wild Changed Gaming

The tremendous success of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild proved that many players still want one thing from open-world games: friction.

The base version of Breath of the Wild‘s Switch 2 Edition comes with some notable upgrades over the Switch 1 release, hence the $10 price increase. Zelda: Breath of the Wild will have improved performance on the Switch 2, as well as compatibility with the Zelda Notes feature that’s being added to the Nintendo Switch app. Zelda Notes add achievements and various other helpful features to Breath of the Wild. Even still, the $70 Breath of the Wild on Switch 2 is not the full experience.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Pricing Explained

• $70 for the Switch 2 Edition
• $20 for the Expansion Pass
• $10 upgrade path for those that already own the game on Switch 1

Unfortunately, the Switch 2 Edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild does not include the post-launch DLC. Some Zelda fans may not have even realized this, but Breath of the Wild releases two expansions through its Expansion Pass – The Master Trials and The Champions’ Ballad. The former added the Trial of the Sword Challenge, Master Mode difficulty, new ways to earn rewards, Hero Path, the Travel Medallion, the Korok Mask, and more. The Champions’ Ballad, meanwhile, added a new dungeon, new items, and the Master Cycle Zero that Link can use to ride around open world Hyrule. Switch 2 gamers interested in checking out this bonus content for Breath of the Wild will have to fork over $20. This means those interested in the complete Breath of the Wild experience on Switch 2 will have to pay a whopping $90, despite the fact that the game will be over eight years old by the time it launches on June 5.

While that’s all very disappointing, there is a silver lining. Zelda: Breath of the Wild has an upgrade path that Switch 2 owners can take advantage of if they own the Switch 1 version of the game. For $10, Switch 2 owners can upgrade to the new and improved version of Breath of the Wild. Plus, those that are signed up for the Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online don’t have to pay anything for the Breath of the Wild Switch 2 upgrade. Both options are far better than shelling out $70, to say the least.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Systems

10/10

Released

March 3, 2017

ESRB

E for Everyone: Fantasy Violence, Use of Alcohol, Mild Suggestive Themes

Developer(s)

Nintendo EPD

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Engine

Havok