These Switch bundles come with one of Nintendo’s best multiplayer game for free

By Carli Velocci Published September 16, 2024

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's Peach and Yoshi on hovering racer vehicles looking at the camera. — Nintendo

Nintendo is kicking off the holidays early with two new Switch bundles set to release “early this fall” that will basically give you a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Nintendo Switch Online for free.

Recommended Videos

Nintendo announced the bundles on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday. The bundle with the regular Nintendo Switch and Neon Red and Neon Blue Joy-Con controllers will cost $300, while the one with the Switch OLED and white Joy-Cons will sell for $350. Both bundles include a console, a digital download of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online.

The Switch OLED normally costs $350, while the regular Switch goes for $300, so you’re getting Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and its Switch Online subscription service, which Nintendo values at $80, for free essentially. There’s no release date just yet, and preorders aren’t available, but stay tuned for updates over the coming weeks.

While Mario Kart 8 Deluxe released its last DLC in 2023 in the form of the Booster Course Pass, it’s still the most successful Nintendo Switch game of all time, and one of the best Switch multiplayer games. Meanwhile, Switch Online is basically required for multiplayer, so it’s an obvious choice for such a bundle. Depending on your plan, you can also share it with up to eight family members or friends and get access to cloud saves. Nintendo also releases ports of classic games to the Switch Online + Expansion Pack, and has been consistently adding new ones. You can play games like GoldenEye 007, Star Fox 64, Super Mario World, and a whole bunch of Legend of Zelda classics like Majora’s Mask.

The bundles might be one of the last times to get such a deal on the Switch. Nintendo has been gearing up for the eventual release of the Switch’s successor. We have no information on this just yet, but rumors suggest it could be released early next year.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

Gaming

I played 11 Nintendo Switch 2 games. Here’s what I thought of each

Bowser in Mario Kart World.

It's been a whirlwind week for Nintendo fans. On Wednesday, the company fully lifted the lid on the Nintendo Switch 2 with a perfectly executed Direct presentation. That moment of elation gave way to anxiety as players sorted through the console's controversial new pricing strategy. Then came complete panic as President Donald Trump's freshly announced tariffs on foreign imports caused Nintendo to postpone preorders for the system in the United States. You can't blame Nintendo fans for feeling a little stressed out right now.

The saving grace of all this is that the Switch 2 is still slated to launch on June 5 and it's bringing a ton of exciting games along with it. At a press event on Wednesday, I went hands-on with nearly a dozen Switch 2 games, from first-party heavy-hitters to Switch 2 Editions of old favorites. I've posted my impressions of several games throughout the week, but for the sake of ease, I'm rounding them all up in one place. Curious about just how good Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is? How does it feel to drive a wheelchair around with mouse controls? Is Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour really worth a few bucks? You can find all those answers right here.

Gaming

The Nintendo Switch 2 is missing one small thing that speaks to a bigger problem

The Nintendo Switch 2 playing Mario Kart

With the Nintendo Switch 2, it looks like Nintendo is finally catching up with its peers like PlayStation and Xbox. That’s not just about 4K visuals and 120fps framerates. For example, Nintendo finally has a unified account system, letting players carry over their original Switch purchases over to the upcoming console. Nintendo’s previous consoles and handhelds all had siloed digital purchases.

The Switch 2 also has its own form of voice chat called GameChat, which lets players speak with their friends and other players online. Unified account systems and internal voice chats are features that Xbox and PlayStation figured out in the 2000s and 2010s, but at least for Nintendo, it’s better late than never.

Gaming

The Switch 2’s higher prices won’t hurt its chances at success, analysts say

Bowser in Mario Kart World.

The most controversial thing about Nintendo Switch 2 has been its price tag. While a Nintendo Switch console costs $300 and its first-party games are (typically) $60, the Switch 2 hikes that price way up. The console will cost $450, while games will range in price from $70 to $80 in the United States, depending on the game in question. Fans did not take kindly to the news when the prices were revealed following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. Is there a chance that those angry voices could hurt Nintendo's bottom line?

For insight, I consulted game industry analysts at firms like Omdia and Alinea Analytics. While there are certainly concerns over Switch 2 pricing certain people out of it, analysts still seem confident that the console and its games will perform well. They believe that Nintendo is pricing the console and the games its way because it knows its hardcore fans will still be interested in buying them at that price and want to remain financially conservative as we enter an unprecedented time with the United States' harsh new tariffs.

nproxy.org