While Mario Kart World costing $80 has sparked widespread debate, there’s a smaller but still heated discussion about Nintendo not including Switch 2: Welcome Tour as a pack-in game with the system. Instead, the digital experience will cost $10. Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime seemingly disagrees with that decision, by subtly posting about a previous internal pack-in debate revolving around Wii Sports.
On X, Fils-Aime decided this week was the time to make YouTube clips of a years-old interview with IGN in which he recounted fighting with Shigeru Miyamoto about packing in Wii Sports with Wii for free in North America. In the end, Wii Sports was included with Wii hardware in North America, while it wasn’t in Japan. Meanwhile, Nintendo has been on the defensive over Switch 2: Welcome Tour being a paid add-on. For instance, Nintendo’s Bill Trinen told IGN earlier this week that the digital game isn’t “an exorbitant price.”
Nintendo has a long history of packing in experiences with new console launches, such as Nintendo Land with Wii U’s Deluxe bundle and Face Raiders with 3DS. However, the original Switch didn’t have any such pack-in game at launch in 2017.
Switch 2: Welcome Tour was announced at the Nintendo Direct earlier this month. The launch game showcases the upcoming system’s features, as a player walks around a digital edition of the hardware to check out Switch 2 functionality, like the mouse controls on the new Joy-Cons. This is why people initially assumed Switch 2: Welcome Tour would be included for free with the console.
Nintendo is launching Switch 2 for $450 on June 5. However, preorders have been delayed in North America for the hybrid system after the announcement of new tariffs by the Trump administration last week. For more, check out GameSpot’s hands-on Switch 2 preview.
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