Nintendo Switch Console, Branded SD Cards Deemed “Too Pricey” Following Launch

As Nintendo fans anticipate the Switch launch, which is on March 3 this year, one can help if availing the home and mobile console hybrid is worth your money. After all, CG Mag Online said having the capacity to take your favorite games anywhere you go, among Switch’s other features is something to bank on.

But on the commercial end, there is great concern on whether fans will be able to afford and keep up with the costs of owning the console.

Express UK said Nintendo Switch currently comes with a GBP280 price tag, and does not come with games yet. Paul Tassi wrote on Forbes that some enterprising entrepreneurs have taken it up on themselves to jack up the prices for the console’s accessories and replacements. Since teaming up with HORI to release the official SIM cards to go along with the console, current retail prices in platforms such as Amazon is still not to the level that HORI lists on their website well after Tassi noted the price difference. The SIM cards are essential, as internal storage on Nintendo Switch is just 32G as compared to the 500G standard base hard drives in XBox One and PS4.

“The 32 GB card is 7,900 yen, or about 70 USD. But on Amazon, the “high end” 32 GB SD card from Sandisk is 2,690 yen, or about 23 USD. Past that, if you want a cheaper version with the same amount of storage (but with a slower read/write speed, perhaps), you can find one for as little as 1,180 yen/10 USD,” Tassi initially noted.

Express also said that Nintendo Switch users would also have to cough up money to pay for the replacements should the 4310 mAH Lithium battery inclusive in the console gives out. Videogamer said fans should expect paying for the replacement as lithium batteries of this sort tend to drop well their capacity over use.

The Nintendo product page read, "Please note: the internal battery cannot be removed. If the battery needs to be replaced, we plan to offer paid replacement via Nintendo Customer Support."