The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will officially be the first Nintendo Switch to sell for the previous standard of $60 to $70.
The title was listed on the Nintendo eShop at a price after today’s Nintendo Direct, and gameplay footage for Tears of the Kingdom was also revealed.
This confirmation came after the long-awaited sequel was briefly listed on the Nintendo eShop for $70 earlier than Direct today, but has since been removed. Instead, major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop have stopped accepting pre-orders that were previously set at $60.
Tears of the Kingdom is now available for pre-order at Best Buy for $70, though other retailers don’t seem to have updated their prices yet.
The leaked $70 price has already sparked debate on social media, with some people having issues with the higher price. However, some argue that it is justified, especially given inflation and the fact that other publishers have adopted the $70 price as the new norm.
It may not be popular, but Nintendo can absolutely justify charging $70 for Tears of the Kingdom. This is their most premium game, and we can point to previous pricing by Sony and Xbox as setting the market. I doubt this will be the default pricing for everything going forward.
— Kit Ellis (@kitosan) February 8, 2023
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom really comes out and will probably go 720p at 30fps and sell for $70. Only Nintendo can get away with this
— Akinola Verissimo (@AkinolaGG) February 8, 2023
Also missing from the sticker pricing discussion is a discussion of value and brand trust. Few games spend $70 as easily as Tears of the Kingdom. Given how much content it probably contains and how much I like BOTW, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay a little for it. https://t.co/6eFqXNsa64
— Norm Blum (@neontaster) February 8, 2023
Bro Why does Tears of the Kingdom of Zelda say $70 on Nintendo’s website?
It’s impossible to imitate the PS5 price so quickly 💀https://t.co/81T13WcjXz pic.twitter.com/V5TZnWaTRe
— Aero (@ActualAero) February 8, 2023
In December 2022, Microsoft joined a flock of other publishers, including Sony, Ubisoft and Take-Two Interactive, to reveal that its new major first-party title will cost $70 instead of $60. .
However, it’s worth noting that Pikmin 4, which releases a few months after Tears of the Kingdom, is selling for $60 on the eShop. This could indicate that Nintendo is pricing big games on a case-by-case basis, rather than adopting a wholesale price of $70.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will release for Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023. For all the information announced at today’s Nintendo Direct, click here.
Alex Stedman is IGN’s news editor and oversees entertainment coverage. When he’s not writing or editing, he’s reading fantasy novels and playing Dungeons & Dragons.
