Talking Point: With Prices Rising, Are Your Gaming Habits Changing?

I only use Nintendo systems so I will just be staying the same.

It means waiting longer for sales

I will not be purchasing a Switch 2. I have the previous Nintendo systems and PC gaming options such as Steam and GOG. N64 and Gamecube are my favorite but I also enjoy current games on the Switch.

I'm focusing more on my backlog. I have enough games to last me a lifetime if I never buy anything else

I only use Nintendo systems so I will be staying at home

I was already phasing out of keeping up to date with new consoles and games. The price increase is just making that choice easier for me. I've got plenty of games to replay. Or wishlisted games to buy for $5-$20 on sale. I don't need to keep up with all the full price retail games.

I've started adding funds to my Nintendo and Steam accounts, and not spending more than I've allotted myself. It's helped me to really prioritize the purchase I actually want to make.

Definitely, definitely, and never subscribed. Switch is my preferred place to play solo experiences. But online multiplayer? Playstation is where all my friends play.

Not really, I've always been a "wait 'til the price drops" kinda guy. Very few games (or anything for that matter) warrant me paying full price.

I will buy gaming laptop in the future. I will stay away from consoles for some time for sure.
PC/laptop/Windows is the way!

I already have tonnes of games that I have not played, anyways.

It would be impossible to keep my gaming habits the same if I bought the switch 2. Between the game key cards, the price gouging, and the lack of storage space, nobody's going to be buying as much games as they bought for the switch 1

Hopefully it will help encourage me to stop buying every game that I “kind of wanted” because there’s a slight discount on it. Probably over 800 games in my backlog and I only play 4 hours a week I’m guessing. 🤦‍♂️

It’s always been this way for me, so nothing will really change, fortunately.

I have so many games in my backlog, I've taken a break from buying new games in the past 6 months. Switch only gamer here, with the Switch 2, I'll splurge on day 1 (MK bundle, CyberPunk, probably SF6) - and then I'll be buying Elden Ring & MP4 (DK depending on reviews) day one. After that, I'll likely do what I have done with my Switch, wait it out for sales on games I want, primarily buying 1st party games when they launch. But yeah, with $70/80 games - I'll be more selective.

I've gotten really into used games lately. It's probably the cheapest way to play some older games and you can sell them whenever you want.
It applies for retro consoles, but also games just a couple years old can be found for half their msrp or less.
Honestly it's such a good deal, I see why console makers like Xbox have wanted to get rid of it for over a decade.

I'll probably be more selective on buying Nintendo games but my steam library is growing quickly lol so i won't be bored

I'm carving away at my ever growing backlog instead of buying day one releases. Life goes on, gaming will still be one of my largest hobbies. Buying new games immediately and pre-ordering will just be a forgotten hobby and I'm fine with that....unless that release starts with "Chibi" and ends with "Robo", I'll pre-order your entire overpriced stock 😏

i will save a lot of money on switch 2 because of key cards wont buy any of them..

I already rarely buy games day one, usually only reserve that for FF, Like a Dragon and Pokemon.
Most of my gaming purchases are on sale or second hand at fleamarkets and CEX.

I guess I'll buy one or two first party Nintendo games a year. ATM it's Mario Kart Worlds and DK Bananza or Pokemon Legends ZA, I'm still not sure.

Switch 2 will probably continue to be secondary to my Steam Deck as there’s just more choice on there (and freedom to mod). I suspect I’ll be buying fewer games at these higher prices, most games just aren’t worth that much to me so I’ll wait for a sale (or just never get the game).

It will be rare events like a new Mario that I would be willing to pay £80 for.

I'll think twice before making any purchase. I have to be more selective and try less new stuff.

@Magician Yeah. Nintendo shines with single player, especially with their lack of dedicated servers, and Playstation has much better online, but from the few games I’ve played on my PS5, a lot of the single player gameplay feels very similar between games, with their lack exception of Astro’s Playroom (waiting for a sale on Bot)

Gaming has started to take more of a back seat in my life for a few years. It was already starting to change, because I've been working on cars and gardening, and finding other things to do that "yield more fruit", or give a greater sense of accomplishment.

That said, I do still enjoy video games, and make room for about an hour a day, and maybe two or three hours on Saturdays and Sundays. It's a great way to unwind, but for me it's like sugar - better in small doses.

The increase in prices makes me feel like investing in games even less, maybe just getting the heavy-hitters like Mario Kart and Metroid. And there is a massive backlog of classics to fall back on. I bought Stellar Blade two months ago, and still haven't finished it, so I'm not in a rush to buy a ton of games, especially if they're going to get in the way of financial goals.

This might be just me being old head and have grown up with the industry. As I get older, I find myself being interested in other things besides gaming. I can still put in the 3 hours or more, but I must really really like the game. With my hobby getting more expensive I might find myself becoming a pure casual. Just life, I guess.

Hi Microsoft! Good question!

Not changing much - it's been years I barely buy games on launch day unless I could find a nice sale and indies/old games are my main pool of gaming anyway. So basically gotta do the same.

makes zero difference. I only buy games when they have been out a year or more, so they are a) discounted, and b) patched and fully working!

I’m in my late thirties with children and a myriad of tasks to do around my home when I do have free time.

The Switch will likely be the last console I’ll purchase for myself. Maybe in the future I’ll get a Switch 2 for the kids, but I think the ship has sailed for me in terms of grabbing the latest games. My 1TB memory card on Switch has enough games on it to easily satisfy my gaming interests until my final days, I would think.

My ps5 hasn't gotten much use, God of War and Jedi Fallen Order were cool but really I just enjoy Nintendo games more

I usually buy one or two big new releases a year. The rest of the time I'm buying digital games on sale and second hand games that I find at a good price. I have a huge backlog built up.

So I'll need to spend slightly more on the few big releases I do buy, but I'm not sure my other purchasing habits will be significantly affected.

Let's put it this way, besides the Switch I have a PS5 with 100+ digital games, but almost all of them are actually PS4 games that I purchased in the past or near PS5 launch. Ever since having a kid, I have also been gaming mostly on my Switch due to portability and lighter games.

I feel that gaming will need to reinvent itself soon. With us fans growing older with less time to play and with kids that could enjoy gaming staying out of it due to extremely high prices, I don't think it's sustainable anymore.

I mean yes, but not because of the price changes. If I really wanted Mario Kart World or whatever, I would get it. But I am judt too busy with other things.

I feel the switch 2 will either be my last console or penultimate one as the game prices are getting too high, I have played all new games already in some shape or form and physical games could soon be a thing of the past. Thankfully I have many retro systems to scratch a gaming itch going forward if I decide the switch 2 will be my final console. I have to say, I wasn't really blown away with my ps5 purchase from the ps4 and quickly sold off the Xbox series x, so it's not just a dig at nintendo.

I’ve posted this elsewhere but as a kid I always wanted all the current major consoles and a sweet PC. I have all of that now (well, not the PS5 Pro lol). But as I get older, I’m gaming less each week. New hobbies, relationships, and obligations take precedence for me as I get older. As well as health and fitness.

Now sprinkle on these insane price hikes with low performing investments… there’s just no need to buy that many games unless it’s something I’m truly stoked to play day 1. I’m getting a Switch 2 but I won’t be buying anymore XBOX or PlayStation consoles.

Oddly enough, I’ll probably end up saving money from games despite the price increases since I’ll only be buying a few titles each year from here on out!

The key cards are the only thing that cause me to change. Gaming has been expensive for a long time, it goes up with each generation. I stopped getting every console 2 generations ago and like nearly everyone, I have a backlog a mile long. I don't need to play games the day they come out, and usually buy my games on sale.

I don’t ‘need’ to make changes, I just have a perception of value where I’m not going to waste money just for the sake of it. A £70 game is a year of Netflix or Disney or a guitar pedal or a lot of other things that give me more value than a video game.

I will be buying the nintendo switch 2 to play nintendo switch 1 games portable on a bigger screen, with bigger controllers. Nintendo switch 2 games? At that price? Without the game inside the cartridge? No thanks. Multiplatform titles on key-card? I will be buying them on other console.
For example: Raidou on switch 1 has everyting in the cartridge, why buy the nsw2 game?

i spend already a lot for games and i don't want to spend more, which means less games or more indies

Gaming for me will definitely get better.
Back in the 90s I paid almost twice as much for an N64 game than for a game today, and it was the best time, because every purchase counted. Nowadays I buy dozens of games, from which I play not even half of them. 🤷‍♂️

Right now, I'm focusing on actually playing (not necessarily finishing) the Switch games and "insurance purchases" I've gotten over the last few years. I'm pending to play the Trine games, the Portal games, Pang Adventures, and I've gotten back to Q Remastered and Q2 Humanity, and on the DS I've gone back to the Ouendans and Elite Beat Agents to get the highest rankings.

After Kirby and the Forgotten Land on 2022, I haven't bought a game at launch, everything else is either second hand or discounts, doesn't have to be heavy, i.e. if you offer me a game at 1000 or 1100 Mexican pesos, I'd buy it instead of the usual 1400. Trust me, here in Mexico those 300-400 Pesos do make a difference.

I'm going to prioritise the games in my huge backlog and only buy when it's really worth it, whereas before I was a bit casual about buying games. Since I also enjoy PC games from GOG and Steam, I won't buy anything expensive on the Switch 2 that I already have on PC.

I just got a PS5 last autumn, but the prospect of having my Nintendo favourites alongside a portable version of Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring and some rumoured Xbox games like Starfield and such... I really don't know. It's an expensive hobby. I really don't like PC gaming cause I use a Mac for my day-to-day and work. I already am more picky as I now know which game is worth buying since I dropped Xbox as a platform.

I may consider dropping PS5, but there's a couple games I really love and I have the PSVR2 also, so I really don't know. I am keeping my preorder of Switch 2 for now, but I am gonna have to consider dropping one platform for the other, just for the sake of budget. I can pay for both, but I'd rather be more cautious, cause there's not enough time in the world to play all games anyway and my life doesn't revolve around gaming exclusively.

Despite all that, the Switch 2 looks very cool and promising, I was even downvoted on Reddit for saying the hardware might be more powerful than what we might be expecting when it finally releases.

This has definitely changed my gaming habits.

See you on the high seas, my friends. 🏴‍☠️

Switch provided my largest gaming habit change. As I prefer the Nintendo controller layout I try to game on Nintendo most often. So that meant at first I got stuck with double dips as games went to switch later. So now I wait up to two years if a game looks like it can run on switch. Devs that consistently snub Nintendo slowly lose purchases (huge Bethesda fan but don’t own Starfield or Oblivion remastered…I am buying TES 6) I use gamepass so that does allow me to play but I cancelled it recently because AC shadows is too big. I have quadrupled my game purchases thanks to switch (most systems would max around 100-200 games) but it means I have bought way less on PS5 and series x. So much so that I am redoing my PC and going back to Nintendo/PC. Trying to finish my switch purchases in the next 2 years.

Prices are still low/affordable to me (also it’s still my least expensive hobby). I still buy 150-300 USD CEs. But less statues and merch (aside from my ac shadows spending spree) as I have enough stuff in my home and since the Switch 2 is cheaper than what I paid for series x and ps5 I am not bothered by price. My purchases are however changing due to the trade war. I will still buy wants but will either circulate my money in my community or will abstain from a lot of spending. Focusing on hobbies that earn money/improve my health. Already eating out less and cooking more, will start a garden. Moving to a larger place but one that allows me to be more self sufficient and stockpile items (housing market is still butt butt here, I have given up at this point). Getting back into serious woodworking (no powertools) No travel or concerts and looking for a second job to quickly boost my savings and clear out debt. Starting more initiatives at work to bring in more revenue and boost my check (I can’t get promoted any further. Aside from vanity titles like VP or CTO.) I was supposed to start my decade of sacrifice next year but economic times pushed that up to this year. But I believe in increasing my revenue first and foremost.

My limiter is space and time.

My habits have changed the past couple years but it’s more of an age thing for me - getting old

@AG_Awesome this was me too. Then I realized I wasn't that interested in these games to begin with. It was just the allure of getting a game on a deep discount and saying 'it looks kinda interesting' was the excuse to pull the trigger. Now, I'd rather buy less games but spend more on the ones I'm genuinely interested in

@AllBLK I'm focusing more on my backlog. I have enough games to last me a lifetime if I never buy anything else.

I will keep my physical Switch 1 games and probably buy Switch 2 game updates. Only time I will get Switch 2 full cart games is if they are LE, CE, or SE editions. If I can get it cheaper with Switch 1 games I will go with Switch 1 games physical first.

Yeah, I'm good. I've stopped posting on the site because I've cut down on gaming related purchases dramatically. For the past year, I've been solely gaming on my PS2, Gamecube, PS3, and Dreamcast. I played the Switch a few hours in that time. There were so many Switch games I purchased physically that required a download, I just got tired of it. So, I sort of moved on because I'm not the consumer Nintendo is looking for. I saw the Switch 2 and it's prices, and decided against purchasing. Mostly because, the on board storage sucks, and seemingly a hard push toward digital occurred. Also, the way everything was announced, it produced a FOMO effect. Like this bundle won't be around long, so....buy it now. Again, I'm not a sucker for that stuff anymore, and Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft can go find some ebay scalpers to purchase their product.

To be fair, I started a bit of a frugal stint around the New Year, so prior to game price increases. Game price increases only seem logical at this current time, considering economic influences. Games cost more in the 90s at certain points. I am getting a Switch 2, also enjoy PC, wait for sales, but still buy new for games I'm excited for. I'm just being a lot more conscious of playing through the dozens of amazing games I already own while slowing down on purchasing games generally. Honestly, for me it's a lot of the sales that add up for my spending.

It will probably be the same for me but I’ll make adjustments if I have to. I play games on multiple consoles and only buy games that catch my interest. I have game pass and mostly use that to play Disney Dream Light Valley but I have used it for other games.

No. I found a better job, Im working hard 10+ hours every day, I can cover all the raising costs. As simple as that.

@FirMatt
IP pirates are 99% pathetic cheapskates. 🤷‍♂️ Either wait for a game to get cheaper or don't buy it at all.

Prices rise on almost all products all the time. Inflation is a constant. The idea that gaming should be an exception is bizarre and asinine. I'm going to be cutting back on my gaming purchases but because I bought a house with a higher mortgage, not because the price of games went up $10.

I'm transitioning over to Playstation. Nintendo games never going on sale, plus 3rd party sales still being more expensive than they are on PS, I can't justify the gouging anymore. There are going to be 4-5 amazing life changing games on Switch 2, just like any console...but I'm not going to pay $80 for each one of them. GOW Ragnarok and Horizon FW we just on sale for 40% off. Being able to play AAA games after a few years at half the price is a much more attractive option for me. It helps that I already have the console, and when I need to replace it, I will still pay less.

Unfortunately as it is I buy more games than I ever end up playing so if I need to start buying only games I KNOW I want like a first party nintendo game, that's probably okay. A price increase to $80 at launch doesn't affect me as much especially if I stop making frivolous purchases. I think i've acclimated to the initial shock of the price increase. There are more important things to be upset about right now

I'll certainly be making my purchases with more consideration going forward, but I'll be fine. I have a big backlog anyway so it's not like I'm hurting for new games at the moment.

I guess sucking at even starting games I purchased will pay off for me now LOL.

For me not much will change, whenever I get Switch 2. Based on a combo of "limited" gaming time and interests, I've always tried to purchase games I'm (mostly) sure I'd actually play through, whether they're $5 or $50. I'm sure I've passed up on some awesome titles due to my limited scope but at the same time I haven't felt a major financial or mental hit and have enjoyed plenty of old+new titles.

Personally, I don't feel like cutting back on new games comes down to principle or serious financial concerns. I just don't think they seem nearly as tempting when they're asking more for them. I've bought far more retro games in the last five years than anything else. Full price modern games can rarely compete with what can be found second-hand. Difficult if you don't already own the old systems, but not a problem for me.

Will iikely only be purchasing Zelda games for my Switch 2. I've already passed on ALL of the overpriced first party games that have come out since Echoes of Wisdom. I will not be buying the new Donkey Kong game or any of the 3rd party titles - especially the game key card games. I may even pass on the upcoming Mario 3D game whenever that may come out. I was actually not a big fan of Odyssey and only played Wonder once. So even my Mario days may be over. So my Switch 2 will likely only be used for Switch 1 titles and future Zelda games going forward.

I will be renting a lot more games and buying second hand when possible especially for shorter games, if developers want to charge higher prices then that's fine but doesn't mean I have to give them that money to get the game.

It's going to change 2 things for me:

During the Switch Gen I tried exclusively buying physically, including indies. Due to many factors (rising costs, tariffs, weight of the dollar) I doubt I'll be as hardcore buying physical indies in Canada for these reasons.

I'm also going to be careful about what games I buy - right away. I'll be waiting for reviews and weighing on the games - like, do I really want buy Mario Tennis Deuces for $100 CAD ($70 US)?

I guess you could say I'm gonna be a tad selective when it comes to what I play moving forward. As for time spent, I doubt that will change.

The last 2½ year I've actually spend just as much (if not more) on hardware as I have on games. I got a Steam Deck in september 2022 (419€) - and my second Wii U the month before (100€) - the Taito Edition of Super Pocket in november 2023 (60€ + p&p), an old ZX Spectrum 48k rubber keys directly from England + accessories around may 2024 (almost 200€ including taxes, p&p, etc.), the Technos Edition of Super Pocket november 2024 (60€ + p&p), 'The Spectrum' a modern recreation of the 48k Spectrum, I bought in may, in december 2024 (almost 120€) (Yeah, I feel kind of dumb buying the original half a year earlier.. but at least I can try an sell it) AND this april I finally caved in and bought an Evercade EXP R (and a Tate grip) because it was discounted (around 140€).

Last year I spend around 410€ on games and this year I've spent around 115€ so far. The last full price, new release, I bought was Alone in the Dark for 54€ (10€ release discount) on my Steam Deck march 2024 (and though I liked it, I do feel like it was too expensive for what it is, being a digital copy an all). The rest I've spend more or less on remaster/ports/emulated version of 20-30-40 years old games.

Yeah, I've definitely changed my spending habits gradually over the last 7-8 years, more and more moving backwards and trying out a lot of older games/new genres more than ever before.

I'll definitely be holding back on buying new games. At this rate, I'm sure it will be years before I get a Switch 2. But I've got such a massive library of games and a backlog of games to play, that I'll never run out. Plus, my secondary hobby is reading and buying manga, so I need to cut back on gaming if I want to afford that. I've never really been a person who cares that much about amazing graphics and performance. I tend to play indies and some 1st party games for the most part, so I won't really feel like I'm missing out. And if I want to play Nintendo's franchises, I'll just get more playtime out of what I already own.

How I buy games honestly changed at the start of 2025 before the industry started raising prices across the board, but they do factor in.

• Frankly, my backlog is massive enough; my only purchases so far this year were through existing eShop credit/sales and one recent exception for the physical of Stray since I found it for a decent price.
• I'm trying to save for several things in and out of the gaming sphere. A new PC/home office setup and some home improvements among others.
• Due to the above reasons, I'm waiting to purchase a Switch 2 for some time.

I don't think my future game buying habits will change much - I typically wait for a sale unless I absolutely want to play something day one (which is rare) - but prices will factor in. As well as the game-key card scenario.

Edit: I am also trying to prioritize other things outside of gaming more. I worked in better eating and exercise habits years ago, but I do want to increasingly focus on the people in my life as well. As well as other hobbies. I don't think doing anything we enjoy is a "waste of time"; however, as I get older, I realize "how many games I played" probably won't rank high in my final moments.

I'll definitely visit the high seas more often and buy the game if I really love them when they are on deal.

As far as my gaming habits go, they were already beginning to change in recent months, so this is just more incentive to continue redirecting in that direction.

When my previous job started shorting my hours, I had to stop buying the latest and greatest just to keep eating... which is decidedly more important.

So I was already hooking my old NES back up for nostalgia's sake, and when Monster Hunter Wilds came out near my birthday, and some of my birthday cash made me able to spring for a reliable controller, suddenly I felt invested not only in that, but in my old-school library and the "Wasted money" in my Steam backlog I'd been building seasonally (who hasn't, honestly?)

My computer was built about 5 years ago, but it was slightly ahead of the curve on RAM and CPU, and about 2 years ago we switched it to an SSD, so my Steam Library is a much more appealing option with the larger companies charging over $60, and Clair Obscur is $50 - and I feel like that's an instant dark horse out of left field genre mainstay surprise hit.

I'm definitely going to be more selective about the games I buy, especially from Nintendo. I usually buy everything they put out but with these parasitic prices I'm going to have to pick and choose which ones I own. This in effect is going to make me primarily a PC/Handheld PC gamer with the Switch 2 being my secondary console whereas before I was a Nintendo first kinda guy with everything else falling in behind. The prices and sales on Steam can't be beat anywhere else...

I'm going to put off buying a Switch 2 until I can properly justify it (if ever). With the era of Game Key cards around the corner, I'm just going to be focusing on filling gaps in my Switch 1 collection.

Also, other hobbies which I have also had on back burner for too long, such as my novel and manga collection and my drawing habit, are also returning to my routine, so life outside video games is always an option, including the nearby park.

Everybody says "touch grass" but how many actually do? My last time was about thursday afternoon before New England started getting drenched - like all the April showers decided on April Fools' Day they'd all come out on Cinco De Mayo instead. LOL

The backlog was always an investment, I’ll probably never buy another game after Metroid Prime 4 comes out, unless some of my Wish list comes on sale, I’m looking at you Cave Story+

@Jack_Goetz yeah I'm really thinking that now is the right time to start focusing on adding to my "retro" gaming collections and filling out my libraries on SNES, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, DS/3DS, Gamecube, etc...

I use Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for years but not since the beginning. It's a good deal. I do prefer to play games on the Nintendo Switch. So if I like a game on Game Pass I will probably buy it for the Switch.

I already ordered the Switch 2. Also because I already am invested in the Nintendo Switch platform. I do think my gaming habits will change with the prices rising. I will wait longer for a good deal and/or buy less games.
No problem. I can play games from my backlog and maybe it is also time to replay some of the older Switch games.

Well, I only own and play Nintendo systems, so don't need to worry on that part. I am still hoping Nintendo do a new voucher deal scheme for Switch 2 games. It feels like a no-brainer.

I paddle board and surf as my other hobbies so beyond board costs, video games are my only routine spend. Probably 8-10 full price releases per year. I don't have the time to play much more than that with a job, parenthood and other time demands.

£70 isn't great but I paid these prices back in the early nineties and managed.

I would say of all the Nintendo titles that I have purchased, I've got at least 30-40 hours from them so I'm still under £2 per hour of entertainment. Not bad.

Made my peace with digital. Nearly at the half century point and I can't take all this crap with me.

I'm in the process of changing my gaming/purchasing habits, but not directly because of the price increase this gen.

There's two interconnected issues really: time and money. I think money-wise I'm in theory okay, but the rapid availability of cheap games has actually led to frivolous purchases and I've ended up with a dreaded "backlog" of games which, in all honesty, I'll never get around to. Because time.

Really I've learnt I need to be more selective about what I buy and dedicate my time to. It doesn't matter if I own all the games in the world if I never play them, or don't enjoy playing them.

So what am I dedicating my time to? Nintendo rarely let me down, so I'm happy to pay a premium for their games. I would rather one amazing Nintendo game for £75 than 8 £10 games that I'm only moderately interested in.

And it looks like Switch 2 will have some excellent third party support, so I'm wondering if I'll be buying much for my PS5, Xbox or PC at all. I can see myself being ~90% Switch 2 this gen.

Also recognising that great games offer a lifetime of value. I bought Mario Kart 8 twice and it was worth every penny. Hell, I'd say half of my gaming time is replaying old favourites.

My gaming habits have been adjusted. Not on PC but defo on consoles. I cancelled my Switch 2 pre-order and when I saw that games that are coming to switch and switch 2 I normally would get the next gen versions but since the switch 2 versions of games are just the switch 1 cart with an upgrade code in the box that has put a massive sore taste in my mouth.

And with the increase cost of both digital and physical games (more so physical for me) my excitement of the switch 2 went from high to really low very quickly. Will I get a switch 2 at some point. Ya I will but when I have no idea. maybe not in the first 2 years I think.

Yes, I will definitely be making adjustments accordingly to my own hobby budget. I will not be increasing it, so it will simply mean fewer games purchased annually, which in turn means fewer day one purchases. Looking for digital sales on Amazon, GameStop and or course, the eShop.

I'll also go mostly digital so the FOMO is no longer a factor in impulse buying. Physical games are going on the window this generation, so I might as well embrace it. Maybe its because I'm older, but I kind of really hate looking at my shelves of video games now, lol.

Um the extra $10 US for a new game isn't the primary problem for me. Too many ‘must play’ games out there and too few leisure hours in a week is my struggle. I play Nintendo games and a select set of others (usually Atlus) because I have to prioritize time, and I am rarely - if ever disappointed by a Nintendo published game.

I’ve decided to truly limit myself to PC and Nintendo now. No point on getting an Xbox or PlayStation anymore. At one point I had all three platforms, and besides my switch and PC they collected dust.

@Aerona speak for yourself I’m rich. Naw I’m just joking. These prices are crazy even with inflation.

@Michael0916 Or don't suck up to late stage capitalism. Enjoy waiting for a sale, I'll be busy playing whatever I want.

Edit: If it's an indie, and I fall in love with it, I do legit buy it on steam, and I buy their merch too. At least they price their games right, and they are small businesses that genuinely need the support. But AAA? Gtfo lol.

In the past several years my spending habits have become more of a: "YARGGGG we be sailin the seven seas..."

The second question should have "I am a Switch (2) / PC gamer" Because that fits me the best.

I do have a PS5 / XBOX Series X but those honestly have started to collect dust since I upgraded my PC last year.

Switch is mostly for exclusive games and for games I like playing handheld (Balatro for example)

I find it kind of funny how people will complain about prices then go on about how big their backlog is. Like your already buying more games than you have time to play, that’s a much bigger problem than $10 more for a game.

Yep I keep looking at the price of new games and my series x and my game pass ultimate subscription which runs until March 2027 at the old £11.99 per month rate fully paid for.

Then I look at the GPU better release schedule since late 2025 and 2026 and think it is so much cheaper and amazing value.

Games since late 2025 I have played on GPU on series x and coming this year so far:

Stalker
Indy Jones
COD BO
AVOWED
ATOM Fall
South of Midnight
Oblivion remaster
COD Modern warefare 2022
Doom
Gears of war reloaded
Outer World 2
COD 2025
And probably some unannounced games to come this year and that is only the games I have played not including the great expedition 33 on game pass ultimate day one.
Just add that up in money.

My subscription £148 for the year.
That’s about two full price games or two MKW full price on release day.

I'll definitely make some adjustments. Particularly with Nintendo first party games. I won't buy any Yoshi game with a non existent OST this time, Nintendo.

Just first and second party games on Switch 2 for me (not all of them, mind you). By limiting my purchases this way, I should be able to afford the games I want to play as they release. I can also give each game a proper deep dive, taking the time necessary to really digest a game rather than rushing to finish it or trying to juggle multiple games at the same time. That should prevent a backlog from forming, as well

I've never been someone who buys every game I'm interested in at launch, but I do tend to make an exception for Nintendo's big hitters at least. With the Switch 2, though, I'm not buying the console until the games start getting decent discounts, and if we're looking at £60-75 for every major first-party game I think it'll be very rare for me to buy anything at launch once I do have the system. I definitely do want to get the console in due course, but for now I'm not feeling particularly enthusiastic about modern gaming and I'm quite happy to just focus on older games for a bit.

I have a PS2 and PS4 boxed away.
Never paid for the online subscription.

I got rid of my Series X in November.

I'll be buying games ones they drop drastically in price.

Probably just gonna be more selective in what I get. I wait to get most non-Nintendo games on sale anyway (ain't really worth it to wait on Nintendo sales, cause it can literally take years and then it's only like a 30% drop lol)

My biggest change (that's already happened) is not watching Youtubers or reading those forums. I know what I'm going to buy and play. I can happily sit digital games out and don't need the noise of them all saying the same sh-stuff trying to ramp up hype for something (or anger at something.) I just want to play games with people I like playing games with. So, no more buying games for my backlog. No fear of missing out. I'm done with all that.
So, my game decisions have changed; they have been made easier. There were too many games anyway. We've all been saying it for years. So disregarding digital and key-cards is actually quite the Godsend. And I'm sure there will be some good games I don't get to play...but there will be plenty of good ones I do. And those are the point. Appreciate what you have. And stop listening to people pointing out the stuff you don't.

I'm not really in a hurry to pick up the Switch 2. The only games I think that could sway me would be gen 10 of Pokemon and maybe a new Smash Bros game, but we'll see I guess.

Honestly there's so many great games I can play on PC right now I'll probably be more of a PC gamer than ever before now....I was already kind of leaning that way in previous generations but this will definitely tip me over that edge.

I've owned every system on launch day since the N64. This includes the Dreamcast, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, all PlayStation systems, as well as Xbox systems. I sold off most of my retro collection as a way to keep funding my hobby, but recently, with the announcement of the Switch 2, I am just not excited any more. I did pre order out of FOMO, but if I'm being honest, I really have no desire to buy it day one. The loss of physical really bums me out, I get it, but it still bums me out. I have recently gotten back to retro collecting for the pure joy I get from it, but also the price of current games/systems. I think I will stick to retro games, Switch games, and start tackling my backlog. I did just beat Luigi's Mansion 3 last week, which is a start. It was just OK by the way.

I am solely a Nintendo video game player so having the chance to get a preorder for a Switch 2 and turning it down is telling of the whole situation tariffs, prices for all goods, game key cards, etc. I will be waiting for the inevitable upgrade and/or smaller version of the console before I adopt.

The OG switch makes my hands hurt if I play it too long so I know a heavier console will only make that worse. Between that and the fact that the game I'm most excited to play (the new Legends) is releasing on Switch I'm good with waiting a couple of years to see how the whole situation resolves.

Unfortunately it just means I won’t take as many risks. Back on the 3DS when games were $30-$40, I’d buy almost anything Nintendo. Discovered a lot of good series that way. But now I’ll probably just stick to what I know I’ll like (Mario Kart, DK) and wait for sales on the others. And since Nintendo doesn’t do a ton of sales, well…. Who knows how many games I’ll end up getting. Definitely will have a lighter backlog, but maybe that’s for the best.

Yep. I play much more on PC now due to…Jack Sparrow “demos”.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t value work. I try the games and either uninstall or buy a copy. Luckily Switch gets a lot of demos to do this. I do not trust reviews.

No, but I'm grateful that I only buy things I know I'll play. I don't care if something is on sale for $0.99; if I know I'll never play it and don't have some other motive like supporting a specific dev, I'll keep my $0.99.

No changes for me as I stopped collecting physical games a few years ago.

There's simply no time to replay them and play new games, so although I buy mainly physical, I sell the game on after completion.

I sold my USA N64 and GameCube collection over the last few years on eBay too.

Got MKW bundle for Switch 2. They'll support it for the life of Switch 2. And £35 is a bargain. With the £40 saving it's very likely that I would get less than that for selling the physical version in say, 6 years time.

I've also finished my Switch 1 backlog so I'm ready. 😊

Eh. Gonna remain the same.
I honestly think people buy games way too quickly now.

Note the amount of people who said that the prices of the Switch 2 is making them look at their Switch 1 backlog... Yeah, people buy up way too many games, way too fast. And it's worse for all-digital players on Steam, who have libraries in their literal hundreds - which they'll never play 90% of them.

Nah. My rate's gonna stay exactly the same.
I have 200+ games on my Switch 1. A majority of them were indie games ranging between $5-$20 (Sadly, these games have really poor replay value, so I haven't gotten back to them in years). Those games are going to remain their prices on the Switch 2. No biggie.

The rest? Big titles that I bought roughly ~5 every year. At $80, that really doesn't change the amount I'll buy.

Well, since I have very low hype of Switch 2 compared with other games I have so I will prioritize on building PS5, PS4 , Switch games first then the Retro games like NDS, 3DS, Wii, PS2, PS3.
I also will consider the very minor Retro games like PS1, PSP, GameCube, Wii U if I found some interesting games.
Even if I already have Switch 2, I still have very very few number of Switch 2 games I want to buy since the 1st party are expensive, the 3rd party I only get the full game in card only, hell no to game key card.

Now that I have a Steam Deck, I truly think I’ll be done with buying new systems / hardware. I can rely on the Deck for larger, AAA games, and I’ll keep my base Switch for Nintendo and indies. Plus, with how frequent and deep Steam discounts are, I’ll likely be buying my video games there from now on, with the occasional used Switch copies from local stores.

No. I continue buying AAA games on Steam Store. Yesterday $25 for Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Playing on my Steam Deck Oled / Rog Ally X / PC / Ipad Pro / TV.

Probably i wont buy Switch 2 or any console again.

For me, steam is the biggest winner, by far.

If you’ve got kids, you (1) get more into short-burst games for time and backlogs for finances, and (2) get nostalgic so bust out the classics, whether on legacy consoles from childhood or NSO.

With the Switch generation I purchased almost every major release from Nintendo. I don’t think I’ll be able to afford this for Switch 2. And it will be harder to justify paying 100 bucks CDN for games like Luigi’s Mansion 2 or Princess Peach Showtime. Even 100 bucks for something like Links Awakening I’d be on the fence about and I ended up loving that game!

I will definitively wait for more sales. Donkey Kong Bananza, unlike the US, is 10$CAD more than Tears of the Kingdom, in Canada. Marvelous often do sales, so I'll wait before getting Fune Factory Guardians of Azama (full on cartridge!). Witcher 3 was on sales only some weeks after its Switch release, so I'll wait a little before getting Cyberpunk. I will still get ASAP a Switch 2, as it's pretty much the price range I expected.

Gaming habits changed a long time ago, when games got longer, stories became possible, quest lines and graphics started to get cinematic. Gunstar Heroes is what I grew up on, an hour is all you need to beat it, but it was damn good. Now I'm playing TotK, I've logged about 300 hours into it so far, not even half way done I don't think. When games are longer, you spend less overall because you wait to finish them, something we seldom had chance to do back in the day.

The short answer is yes. While I can afford video games, since having kids, I've bought fewer. And I've never paid more than $60 (at one time) for a video game. While DK Bananza will likely be the first, I'm holding out for some kind of voucher program for Switch 2 before I start buying too many more video games.

well I only play games on Nintendo consoles (and a very few on PC if my PC can handle them)

and I barely buy games anyway

I’ve relegated myself to collecting boxed retro titles and paying for game pass streaming. I can’t be arsed with these new prices.

Feeling the Squeeze... not the money, the pushy industry. I'm in wait-and-see mode right now. Let others review how well the pieces fit.
Thank you NL btw.

I used to buy many $60 games at launch.

Then I stopped buying most at $70 pricing and have been waiting for sales first.

At $80? I will buy next to no games at launch. My salary certainly hasn't risen for me to pay so much more

I currently use Game Pass because there are now new releases I want to play on a steady basis. Indy, Avowed, Oblivion, Expedition 33, and Doom (soon) have all made the sub price worth it

Honestly the Game-Key Cards are a much bigger reason for me to buy fewer games than the prices. That being said I've had a rule since December 2023 that in order to buy a new game, I must beat two games in my backlog. That'll definitely be continuing. And the way things are going, it looks like I'll be buying way more games on my Switch 1 wishlist than fancy new Switch 2 games.

GamePass on Switch2 would be insane. TBH, I usually only buy first-party Nintendo games at full price; everything else on sale. Also, with the Key-Card situation, I will just wait until those games go on sale on the e-shop; just like I did with last gen with download codes in-box. Honestly, I don't think much will change for my gaming habits.

The game keycard thing has made the decision to adjust my spending habits for me. Just Mario Kart for me and Cyberpunk and maybe Rune Factory for the foreseeable future.

I have shifted hard towards Retro Gaming on a Linux PC running Steam lately over everything else. The truth is that I don't have a lot of time these days to game anyways, so the pick-up and play of the NES/Genesis/SNES era tends to mesh better with my schedule than most modern games.

It's sad that my budget used to afford 5-6 new games a year, but these days I am doing good to get 1 or 2 titles. I figure with the price increases that would be dropping to maybe one retail and a digital title a year.

Inflation has been a real thing with everything but my paycheck it seems over the past 30 years. I make more than I ever have, but somehow I can afford less than when I was in my 20's.

It’s mind blowing to me people will spend $10 on an unhealthy fast food meal but complain about $10 extra for a video game they could play for hundreds of hours

With the cost of games going up and Nintendo pushing this game key card stuff, I will likely ONLY purchase first party Nintendo games for the Switch 2. All other purchases will be for PC, PS5, or XBox.

Nintendo priced itself in to a ONLY FIRST PARTY machine corner. I hope they learn from their greed, but they wont and we all know it.

It's mostly going to be the Game Key cards that will change my buying habits. If there's an option between Switch 1 full on cart or Switch 2 game key, it'll be the Switch 1 version, such as with the new 'AI: The Somnium Files' game and 'Raidu Remastered.' If it's a choice between a new Switch 2 port of an older game that's game key, it'll be the PS5 cheaper option. But I've been buying less recently anyway. I kind of went mad during the pandemic but have reigned myself in... but at least now I have a sizeable backlog that will keep me entertained for decades failing everything else.

@Galaxy2IsTheGOAT You can't eat a game. We have to eat every day. We don't have to buy a new game every day.

I don't have a great deal of extra money to spend anyway, so the price hikes don't really influence my purchasing decisions at the moment. Besides, I've already got Deltarune, Metroid Prime 4, Shadow Labyrinth, and Silksong that I can pick up on Switch (or PC for most of those), so my gaming year will be packed even without Switch 2.

I’ll focus mainly on Nintendo first party games along with the occasional XBOX/PS hit from now on. The increase in cost along with a decrease in free time just pushes me to be that much more selective in what I buy.

I remember games costing ƒ100, and this was back in 1999 so yeah, not bothered by expensive games. Will just have to be wise with money as always. (that's a florin for you whippersnappers lol)

I changed my buying habits a while back when I got the ps5. I'm willing to spend £70 plus on certain games (Elden Ring, Red Dead 2 and TOTK, games that are both very high in the quality and quantity department) but for most it's a case of wait for the sale nowadays.

Each of the 3 console manufacturers have taken it in turns over the last few years to show exactly how little they care for their dedicated customers. To me, they're literally screaming at us to not buy their products if we don't want ripped off. So I won't. Switch and PS4 are my last consoles from Nintendo and Sony (I've never bothered with Xbox). I've bought plenty of games in the last decade or so to keep me going for good.

Quality over quantity like in the N64 days!

Even before the pricing debacles started, I was already starting to get into new hobbies. LEGO and comic books, specifically, as well as going harder on music production.

The price bumps really kicked me in the pants and jolted me further away from gaming as a whole. I don’t want to sacrifice all my new fun hobbies for something that costs more and I want to do less.

Changed a lot for me. I got a few games as presents a while back, and then went on for like 6 months now without buying a full priced game (previously I would by one a month).
Also, outside of couple of Switch 2 exclusives and Ghost Of Yotei I think I'm good for the rest of the year too. Backlog is getting revisited though

Price hikes are definitely making me look into my backlog a lot more these days. It doesn't help the triple-A gaming space has given me less and less reasons to care about it over the years. Nintendo included.

I tend to skip every other Nintendo home console. Switch 2 might be the exception, but even then, I'm not buying on day 1.

I'm gonna do what I did on Switch 1: Watch that Great Deals tab closely and wishlist only the things I will actually play.

I’m not buying the switch 2 for the following reasons:
1. Overpriced
2. No games I want at launch or in the pipeline
3. Most games will be game key cards which I have zero interest in.
So as a result of this, I am buying more physical games for the current switch to heavily pad my backlog, as well as enjoying my 3ds and DS games, which are absolute gems. I’m actually not even remotely interested in the Switch 2 anymore.

To be honest for the last two years now I've moved away from buying new releases. Where before I'd buy over half a dozen games a year, I now only buy one or two a year and stick to playing an MMO instead.

I spend overall less a year on gaming, and get as much if not more entertainment alongside socialization.

So I'm okay with increasing prices. Just makes the deals and sales that much more enticing.

I know I have been going back to older games that are cheaper myself, last new game I bought was probably Tears of the Kingdom.

I have no intention of paying full price for games when I already have so many older games I have yet to experience. With sales and whatnot for me personally I have probably spent less on games than I ever have before, but I am still enjoying what I am playing.

I don't really ever get hyped for new games anymore.

A lot of interesting comments here. I find myself more interested in gaming news than actual gaming a lot of times. But in my very limited free time I go back and forth between movies and games. I’m in a gaming mood at the moment, which means I’ve put in about 3 hours of gaming in the past week. A lot of the Switch generation was spent building up a library of physical games on sale that I mostly didn’t have time to play. I’m getting switch 2 out of excitement for better performance (hopefully on some of those Switch 1 games I haven’t played yet) along with the next big Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Pikmin, etc.

With prices going up and fewer games actually on cartridge I will be slowing WAY down on purchases. I’m still open to sales, but if it isn’t on the cartridge I probably won’t buy. Who knows if the servers will even be up when I get around to playing?

@MH4 Lego gets even more price hikes compared to video games and Lego in general is more expensive.

I typically only play Nintendo systems. Overall my habits won't be changing a whole lot. Maybe the months where a first party $100+ game comes out I'll take it easy on the impulse eShop sale purchases

I predominantly play on PC for over the past decade and Nintendo is my secondary source of gaming. Only during the 360 era did that console take the primary spot. Since then, I stick to PC where to the surprise of many, it’s actually cheaper (long term).

Game sales and a perpetual, digital library following me wherever I go with cloud saves since… Steam introduced them back in the late 2000’s was a life changer. I recently checked my cumulative spend on Steam and it’s around $2,000 USD for 15+ years of account history and 320+ titles.

I only jumped back into console gaming just before the pandemic when I picked up the Switch (used). Most of the games I have purchased used too via local classifieds. BotW, Odyssey, Smash… all used.

I’ll certainly stay with the Switch platform long term since the games on Nintendo consoles greatly appeal to me and PC handhelds seem too cumbersome and heavy to be viable for portable use. Which is how I predominantly play my Switch.

I also have a Series X but it’s essentially a device for improved backwards compatibility with my 360 library. It’s typically collecting dust…

All this to say, I don’t see my spending habits changing all that much. PC hardware is stagnating, meaning my hardware will stretch farther and I’ll pick up the big Nintendo games or few indies on the Switch 2 as I see fit.

@Joekun

Beyond my comment above, I agree, and I am similar player. I play maybe 10-20hrs per month at best. I mainly discuss, read about games more than playing them these days.

Oblivion remastered and Blue Prince dragged me back into gaming early April but the past couple weeks I have not booted any games.

It comes in waves, based on my free time and weather… Nice sunny days, I won’t be gaming.

@sanderev Fair point, but it’s easier for me to go out and grab a $10-20 LEGO set compared to Nintendo games.

Not to dismiss all the fantastic and similarly priced indie games, but I think my original point still stands. I should’ve also mentioned that part of why I’m gaming less is because these new hobbies can get super expensive - especially music production lol.

@OwenOtter We (my partner and roommate) started walking to the grocery store, which also incentivises fewer purchases. I read my books outside when possible. We also started gardening, and the fulfillment that brings is amazing.
All this to say, you're right about touching grass. Getting some sun is literally lifechanging.

I prefer Nintendo consoles and games. I trust them to put out a quality product that I will enjoy. Prices are going up, it's inevitable. I purchase maybe 5 games a year, and that's pushing it. I'll be fine.

@FirMatt
Okay, cheapskate. 👍

@Kiyata
Explain how it's overpriced. How much should it cost and why?

@FirMatt What's funny is they said "either wait for a sale or <don't buy it at all.>" So technically, you're still doing what they asked.

On PlayStation I’ll likely keep buying lots as good deals can be found months after release on most physical games.

On switch 2 I expect I’ll buy less first party due to the higher prices and the fact Nintendo games barely decrease in price. I didn’t mind that so much at £35, but at £60+ I’ll struggle to pull the trigger unless it’s a must have like MP4.

The only changes I’ve made is to be much more selective about which Nintendo first party games I buy since they never go on sale and I ended my PS plus subscription since I have the vastly superior game pass paid up for two years.

I'd say I was being pretty price-conscious this generation, with most of my Switch library being bought at a heavy discount and only a handful of games actually purchased at launch. What I'm really worried about now is storage space. I just barely managed to squeeze my entire Switch library into a 1 TB microsd, but the only microsd express in that size is prohibitively expensive and sold out besides. With the size of modern games and the apparent slow death of physical media, it seems possible we'll soon see digital-only games taking up more than 100 GB. Aside from the inconvenience of needing multiple 1 TB microsds to store a library of those games, each game at that size would have an effective $20 bonus cost in storage space. I was already trying to buy my "premium" games physically and mostly sticking to indie/retro games for my digital library, but it seems likely I'll skew even more towards the latter with the Switch 2.

I've changed my buying habits, but it's been a while now.

I haven't gone for full-priced games in a long time, opting stick to big discounts, but I think that last year was a tipping point, when I completely cleared out my Steam wishlist. With discounts on Steam regularly hitting 75% off, even keeping a list of things that I'm just 'kind-of-sort-of' interested in is too much. If there are specific games that I really want to get, I might check to see what they've sold for recently when I have space for them, but anything that's forgotten is probably better skipped, and if I'm really interested in something, I'll make the time. I don't need to look at a list of stuff that I don't have time for and feel tempted to get anyway, just because there's an "80% off" tag next to it. If it's 80% off now, it'll probably also have that discount around the time I have time for it... if I ever do.

The last two games that I got at full price or close to it were Mario Wonder and Elden Ring. But that's basically what it takes: A flagship Mario game or one of the biggest releases by one of my favorite developers.

Most of the time? I'm playing something much cheaper. Clair Obscur, Lies of P, and Another Crab's Treasure on Gamepass were all fantastic. Humble Bundle and Fanatical have ways of dropping bundles with titles that I've been wanting to play but cost drastically less than even the one thing from them that I most want. With Nintendo just not discounting stuff and charging full price, I play very few Nintendo games. There will probably be even fewer on the Switch 2.

I did buy Anthology of the Killer at launch last year without a significant discount, but full price was also $7, and I played it immediately.

Honestly, I was a little tempted by the switch 2, yet decided to pass on it. My Switch is my least used console, and I much prefer playing on my Rog Ally X. Between switch games hardly ever going on sale, and the huge backlog on PC, switch, Xbox, and gamepass, I already feel pressure about buying anything new. I just quit my game rental service because it wasn’t worth it when for the same price I could buy 4-5 deeply discounted titles, or one thing I really wanted. Add in emulation of retro games and there is just less reason to bother with the new switch.

With the rising prices, it will make me think twice on buying games that I'm not too sure about, and probably look towards games that add a lot of value for the price (replayability, how many hours of gameplay etc.)

I use to play on multiple consoles, but I will be mostly focusing on Switch 1 and 2 games, and I might get the odd game on PS5 if not available on Switch consoles.

Basically, I won't be splurging and buying as many random games as I use too, and buying more than one console in the future won't be happening.

@LastFootnote That's a great idea actually, it's shocking the amount of waste that goes in to games that you don't even play straight away.

I love games but I don't buy a ton of games. I grew up poor and had to make a game last, which has continued where I play a game until I've truly tired of it before moving on. The 12 months after TOTK dropped I bought only that and Dredge. I've only grown more conservative with my game buying in the last decade, because nowadays I can easily watch a playthrough of any game that I'm mildly interested in and often times I won't buy it because the taste was enough. I have no interest in mindlessly consuming games and having a backlog, so the incoming hikes are annoying but they won't break my bank by a longshot.

I've been with Nintendo for most of my life, had nearly every handheld and console growing up (except the Virtual Boy), and for a good while Nintendo Switch was my only gaming platform. That meant I had to wait for a lot of Switch ports and often inferior versions of games.

Last year, my friend bought me a PS5 so I could play FF7 Remake and Rebirth, and since then the PS5 has become my primary gaming console due to it's performance. Even then, I don't get many games, but I'll lean towards PS5 for multi-platform titles.

This year, my neighbor moved out and gave me his old PC which I can use for mid-level gaming, opening up more possibilities for what I can play. I still have my Switch and use it for the exclusives. I don't really travel or go out so I haven't needed to get games for the portable aspect.

I do plan on picking up a Switch 2 ASAP primarily for the exclusives and upgrades for my existing games. I'm still a Nintendo fan at heart, but I'll definitely be cutting back on my overall spending on games, either by replaying older games that I never finished, or picking up indies more often. I'm still going to stick with PS5 for multi-platform games for the most part.

Hard to say, because it's not just a matter of game prices going up. It's a matter of ALL prices going up, and who knows what other repercussions will be visited upon us in this topsy-turvy world of ours.
Would I like to just keep buying games at my normal rate? Sure. Will I get to?
Hahahaha.

No change here. I'll buy the 1st party games at full price that I like (with the exception of Mario Kart since that's $50 with the bundle) and maybe some indies and if it's a $60 game or higher I just wait for a sale. My backlog is a mile long, there's only a few games that are absolute must haves for me. (Mario platformers, Switch Sports, Gungeon, Splatoon, LABO, etc.).

I'll be continuing to play on other platforms. But I have zero interest in Playstation or Xbox. I play on PC, and lately just can't get enough of my Quest 3S, that's the real next gen console in my opinion. Switch 2 is going to be great, but it's not really in the same league as VR.

Yep. Games being this expensive means I'm only going to be spending full price on my absolute favorite series, but otherwise I'm mainly going to wait for games to go on sale. I feel like I'm going to start playing rom hacks more or playing my older gen consoles cos with inflation, tariffs, etc things aren't economically well and my family has to come first. Just cos I can buy these things doesn't mean I should when we've got other priorities.

@gsilver yes I have to say clair obscur has to be one of the best value games I’ve bought in ages. Got it preordered at £40 and worth every penny!

I almost never buy games at full price, so no change there. I also am a Steam user, so that will not change. Last of all, I do not have an Xbox besides the 360, and I don't think that has Game Pass

Quite a few years ago, there was a really dry spell in Nintendo games on switch. I was in a gaming shop and saw a very old game, Doom for $60 on switch and $10 on PS4, a lot of other games were the same and playstation had a lot more cheap 3rd party games. So instead of buying a few switch games I bought a PS4. I later bought a steam deck, ps5 and gaming PC. While I could afford a Switch 2, the games are way too expensive in terms of value proposition and in comparison to what other consoles sell. Cyberpunk 2077 is often on a steam sale for around $15, so I wouldn't get a lesser version on switch for, whatever they are asking, $70-80? I skipped Wii-U and might skip Switch 2 in the same way.

@bleeflooflah I'm transitioning over to Playstation. Nintendo games never going on sale, plus 3rd party sales still being more expensive than they are on PS, I can't justify the gouging anymore.
Huh? And you think Sony games will go on sale because you want them to? PS5 consoles cost more then Switch 2 your justification is on very shaky grounds here.

I've already cut way down and I am definitely going to cut down more. The past several years I've been trying to stick to indie games that cost no more than $30 if I can. When I have splurged on a more expensive game, apart from first-party Nintendo games, I've wound up universally disappointed, and almost always it's been because of the price. "This game is buggy and I spent $60 on it, this game is super short and I spent $60 on it." If they hadn't been as expensive, I might not have been so cranky—the price is forefront because I don't have a ton of money so big ticket items hurt more. Now that the prices are going up even more, I just can't see myself being willing to do it at all. I already don't usually get current gen consoles until the prices go way down, so I still only have a PS4. I am so tempted by the Switch 2 but I flat can't afford it, especially with the games also costing so much. So it's going to be backlog and indie games on Steam for the foreseeable future.

I may be just about done buying games. I'm in my 40s, and I bought, and still own and use, every major Nintendo and SEGA console to date (even the Virtual Boy). I've always been very interested in games... but I feel like games are increasingly UNinterested in me, for a number of reasons:

1. I'm a physical media guy. I buy movies on DVD or Blu-Ray, I buy music on vinyl or CD, I buy books, I buy game cartridges (and discs). I revisit old favorites months, years, and even decades down the road; I share them with friends and family; I'd like to eventually share them with my kids. I've always said that the day they stop publishing physical copies is the day I stop buying games. (I do still get a very occasional PC game, but only on GOG because they're DRM-free. I don't particularly enjoy playing on the computer, and I rarely get around to finishing games on my PC.)

2. This is totally a matter of personal preference, but AAA games increasingly aren't my thing. For the last decade or so, the vast majority of games I've enjoyed have been small indie titles—the kind that are less likely to get physical releases, and if they do, it's often through a shady, obnoxious company like LRG. The main exception has been Nintendo first-party titles, but 100+ hour open-world games aren't really something I want to dedicate myself to (the three exceptions I've ever made are Skyrim, Tears of the Kingdom, and Elden Ring). These huge, expensive titles just aren't what I'm looking for.

3. These prices. The economy is only getting worse—inflation, the cost of living (both in real numbers and as percentage of income), purchasing power, wealth inequality—and as much as I love and have always loved games, I have other priorities. I'm in my 40s and am getting ready to start a family. I'd like to keep playing, but as games start to approach triple-digit prices and consumer rights continue to erode, it just isn't worth it.

Mario Kart World isn’t 80€ MSRP in Europe, it is 90€

To be honest, I’m on the brink of cancelling my bundle preorder… beyond MKW there’s not much I’m interested in, in particular Bananza I’m quite lukewarm about. And across the board prices are such a turnoff. For Switch 1 I bought quite some games (even some that I was just somewhat interested in), can’t see me doing that at a much higher price point.

Only reason I haven’t cancelled yet is that, weirdly, this might be the lowest price Switch 2 is ever gonna get.

I have enough of a backlog to where I can wait for games to go on sale. I will be extremely selective of day 1 purchases. I'm primarily a Switch user, but I also have a couple of games on Steam.

I get that I'm in the minority here, but the prices really don't seem that bad to me. I'm in my 40s, I remember saving and saving to buy $70 games on the SNES as a kid. I'll easily play Mario Kart World over 100 hours buying it on release day and I'll share that experience with my friends and kids. Prices on a lot of things I do have gone up, and gone up much more then what I'm seeing for video games.

@Aerona wanna bet?

I have been doing retro gaming for a while. Game Boy and SNES mainly - Nintendo Switch subscription has been great for that, although I do prefer the Virtual Console.

Fixing my Game Boy Color, modding it and discovering hack to old games is a lot of fun, so I am spending my gaming time mostly with that.

Also, Xbox Game Pass is indeed great when it works. As of late, queues of 45 minutes are obscene. I am going back to the UK so I will be able to afford more games. In Brazil, there's no way I'd spend 5000 on the console and almost a fifth of it in every game.

My gaming habits will not change, because, I still work, and I buy my own games and consoles. I only buy Nintendo consoles, and buy certain games on PC, but now, everything is going to get released on Switch 2, so, that's better for me! And this comes from someone who has two kids.

Habits won't change too much for me. I really only ever bought a handful of games per year.

Kids take a lot of time, so gaming time and habits have significantly decrease in the last couple of years.

Prices won't affect me too much, in terms of quantity of games. But I could sure see it having an effect on people that buy double digit games per year. Adds up.

@NintendoWife Mario Kart World isn’t 80€ MSRP in Europe, it is 90€
Links to the retailer for those prices?

My most recent console is a Switch. My latest full-price purchase is the preorder of Capcom Fighting Collection 2, which I am glad was announced before the Switch 2, lest Capcom would get the idea to sell it for more than $40. Retro games tend to be bargain-priced anyway, but shoot, imagine what a 'bargain' will look like in 2026.

The Switch 2 remains a hard sell for me. So do the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. I had a 10-year streak working in the increasingly unstable entertainment industry until last November-- so even without the economy s***ting itself, I'm not in an ideal position to keep buying brand-new systems that only support a sliver of titles I can learn and enjoy quickly.

As a matter of fact, I recently booted up the Wii and enjoyed a Grand Prix race in F-Zero GX. It was great to remember how much I loved and missed that game, but it was even better to do it out of spite for it being an NSO game on Switch 2. I intend to keep physically owning that game, thank you.

I bought the bundle because Mario Kart World then only costs 40 Euro instead of 90. Future Nintendo releases that cost this much I will only buy when they are in a sale or buy them with Payback points so they are essentially free. Hopefully third party games will remain affordable, i.e. 40-60 Euros or less.

@Jester676
https://store.nintendo.de/de/mario-kart-world-70010000096802

As little as little as I use my ps5, and as much as I play my steamdeck and switch, I see myself selling my old switch for a switch 2 very soon, and probably selling my ps5 and its portal since for last few months, I only power it on to claim the free games each month. But after that runs out in June…I am not renewing, and switch 2…

I have such a massive backlog that I can very easily wait things out for a sale. That said, it will be hard for me to pass on Nintendo stuff, even at full price.

@Galaxy2IsTheGOAT The difference is, if $10 is a meal (healthy or not), then a $70-$80 game is about 2 and a half or three days of food you're not getting. $50 is only about One or one and a half.... still not great but a hell of a lot easier to work into a budget if one knows what they are doing.

I think I've been pretty lucky in that games are really the only luxury items I purchase and that at least my wages have increased gradually along with game prices. That and I only really buy 4-5 new games a year means I'm not really worrying about changing my habits yet.

I’ve got a well paying job, so I’m good either way. Though I do need to work on my compulsive buying, especially when games go on sale. So many games I’ve bought and never played.

I haven't really bought many games this generation. Maybe once or twice a year, there'll be one that interests me that I have to pay for. I have Game Pass Ultimate and a Series X, so anything I want to play, I get free. On top of that, I have a Steam Deck OLED so I take advantage of Steam sales. Most of the games I loved this gen have been indies so my habits won't change at all. One helpful hint is to grab game cards at warehouse clubs like BJ's and Costco. That's how I been stocking up for the Switch 2 launch as a $50 card is $47.99. Used to be that way for Steam cards but so many people (like me for my first one) kept buying them and saving as much as $150 on their Decks that the loophole got closed. Now Steam cards are face value at those places. Also, if you have Verizon Wireless or FiOS, you can get $15 of Play credit for $10. You can use that to get an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription from them and save $5 each month. When you're disabled, you always find ways to stretch your dollars.

I usually get games on sale or used, but when there is something I really want to play right away I will pay full price (probably 2-3 times a year). I’ll probably keep doing this.

I haven’t been super successful with this, but I feel like I should be better about not buying used or on-sale games just because I heard they are good or I liked other games in the series. It’d probably be better to just buy games as I am actively wanting to play them and not worry too much about getting the best possible deal. I think the main reason I will tend to buy games like this is out of some “collection” desire and maybe some FOMO if they become hard to find eventually. One way in which I’ve had some limited success on this front is not collecting the rest of a series that I have only recently experienced for the first time. Example: I wanted to try a Xenoblade game and I decided to get XC3. I played it and enjoyed it. Part of me wants to “collect them all” but the chances of me actually playing them all is quite small. I think it is better to just buy another one if and when I actually am in the mood to play one again.

I would say no. I'm allergic to FOMO and only ever buy games on my own timeline and if I miss out I miss out. I also don't really play first-party releases or highly hyped third-party games and mostly stick to weird things that catch my eye so generally I don't spend that much on the games themselves. The exception is otome games, which are often in their own higher price tier. But I'm okay with that. So in light of rising prices, I'll just keep on keeping on.

I primarly play on PC. I got a RTX 4090 after all. I only buy Nintendo-exclusive games on Nintendo Consoles. Everything else is usually buy on PC(cd keys are usually discounted quite a bit). My PS5 is somehow my Yakuza machine these days lol. For some reason, I like Yakuza on TV. I have a switch 2 and Donkey Kong Bananza preordered. I have 2 vouchers I will use on Pokemon and Metroid and pay for the bullcorn upgrade(so stupid, stupid on ps5 too). Paying extra for something free on PC.

@Elitepatriot CDKeys always come in clutch for me with Steam. If I'm not buying on a Steam sale, it's through them.

@Chlocean Sweet! I'm getting my husband into it sometimes, too.

Also, on that thursday, just for the meme, I spent some time on my outdoor walk like... literally touching grass - with my fingers, squatting down by the lawn - just for the meme's sake LOL

my gaming habits have already shifted. When the Switch came out, I was finally living on my own with my own disposable income, so I was able to do what other kids did growing up and buy the ***** out of games that just came out. Along the way, I picked up a PS4 and PS5 and did the same there. 8 years later, I'm done experimenting and I have an better idea of the games I'll want and how/where to play them.

In the unlikely event Ghost becomes multiplat, Nintendo will go back to being my sole system.

I only play games on Nintendo systems and I already cut back on buying new games before the price increases because I have less time and less disposable income. I still buy a game if I really want it and intend to play it, but I can no longer afford to buy a full price game and never play it like I used to. So I don’t expect my habits to change that much.

As a parent of three little who works full time, I get little time to game. My habit in recent years has been play Switch (and retro games) exclusively, and only buy games on sale. Looks like my new habit will have to be playing Switch 2 exclusively and only buying games on sale.

The cost of Switch 2 games is disappointing but not surprising. I'm skipping the launch as new Mario Kart by itself is not enough of a motivator to drop the money for the Switch2 (And paying for 'upgrades to older games is meh'. The Donkey Kong game is more interesting but still not enough to make me jump through the hoops to buy one right now. The Switch has moved into the category of my other options - I need to see a moving target of must play games before considering it.

I have an XBox, mid-range PC with GamePass, and an OLED Switch. I tend to get games on the system (PC or console etc) that has the best version, best price, mod-ability, etc. and keeping in mind Nintendo is now the only console with exclusives really.

I only have time to play 2–3 games a year (usually one big title and a couple of mid-sized ones), around 200–250 hours at best. Whether a game costs €50 or €100, or whether the system costs €300 or €600 — it really doesn’t matter to me. If I want it, I’ll buy it. When you have a hobby you truly enjoy and can afford it, you don’t overthink the price — within reason, of course.

Like many have said life will carry on just as it's been it terms of gaming. In 2018 I scaled everything down, traded in all other systems, let the gaming PC age out and settled with Switch 1 and couldn't be happier. Life is too busy and just trying to keep up with anything Switch 1 is already such a monumental task for me. I'm getting a Switch 2 to transfer it all over and keep doing what I've been doing this whole time. It's exactly what I was hoping to do.

Ultimately, the console is $50 more than anticipated and games are $10 more than their comparative counterparts on the Switch. If that sends you broke, then you have far greater financial concerns. Also, game prices were stagnant for 20 years so the new levels are fair enough. In saying that, I don't waste money and already wait for games to go on sale if my interest priority isn't high. The exceptions when I buy day one, I will be content to pay the higher price.

This generation is the first time I never bought a PS. Too expensive and very few games of interest. Typically, I would wait for the Slim models at a discount price, and PS5 Slim actually increased in price. Even if cheaper, I would skip it.

I'm quite disturbed how Sony set the example to increase, not reduce prices, while the 20% increase for Xbox is ridiculous. I believe these companies are gaming us because we're used to paying more for everything. Technology that is now 5 years old simply should be cheaper.

Nope.

If there's a game releasing I save up or worse case pay pal etc and pay it off in increments.

I have the gamepass (ultimate) and didn't even knew till I played a game somebody gave me on my birthday (april) will game on switch 2 but im guessing ill relay on games depending the same factors as before, if its an exclusive on other platform, performance, availability and now pricing, I prefer to play on Nintendo consoles but will never pledge loyalty to no company, I will always look on my best interest.

@John_Deacon I heard you mate, couldn't say it any better.

I'll definitely be taking less of a risk on game series I've never played before. Unless Nintendo offers a sale of the games, I'm probably just going to be sticking to series I know I enjoy.

@TwinFami That is a probably my main squeeze as well. allkeyshop can help with finding best prices though.

Will buy inevitably less. Piracy also coming back

Having 2 kids definitely changed my spending habits anyway, but then having to remodel our kitchen recently due to a massive leak, as well as the rising costs of, well, EVERYTHING, here in the US has really reduced my gaming budget.

My family would love to have a Switch 2 at launch, but it just isn't a responsible purchase for us right now. Instead, I have been encouraging the kids (and myself) spending some serious time on the massive backlog of games we have accrued.

I honestly don't have the free time to finish anything anyway, so I have plenty to play for now.

No. Age rising on the other hand...

I just no longer have time.

My purchasing habits will see a huge decline due to:

1) Game-Keys
2) Price Increases
3) Not a fan of many modern gaming trends

Honestly, I don't think it will change much. At least not due to the increased price. My salary has increased by a larger amount than games since the Switch came out, and I've always been mostly focusing on my backlog and older games anyway. I don't think I've ever really bought more than 5 or 6 new games a year.

„I‘ll play my backlog“, „I‘ll wait longer for discounts“

BS! I‘m old enough to know that people and their habits only gradually change, and it’s even harder with passionate hobbies.

Most of you will still preorder, be it physical or digital games, and then put them on your (virtual) shelves, making your backlog pile even higher.

For significantly changing habits, these price increases are simply not high enough!

Less to do with pricing and more to do with the push to all digital.

Digital games hold no value for me, I simply do not buy them. I wanted to try "Avowed" but skipped it when the premium price was just for an empty box. Had it contained the game on disc I would have bought it.

I won’t be buying many games for switch 2 with current pricing. It’ll just be the big first party games that I’m interested in I.e. Zelda and Mario

I have yet to buy a standard game at the £60 price point since that became the norm and will possibly only make an exception for a new Mario game or Zelda. Still on the fence with Donkey Kong.

I did not pay full price for any switch 1 game.
Much thanks to staying a few years behind and waiting for mar10 day, black Friday etc.
Also to some extent thanks to game vouchers when "needing" a new game.

I will probably pay full price for Splatoon 4 since I spent 1000+ h in Splatoon 3
Maybe for a new 3d Zelda?

But I have quite a few backlog games that will be enhanced on switch 2, so I'm good for a while.

Needed a second switch for the kids, so they get my current and I get the new one...

I play Nintendo systems and PC.
Used to be a SEGA boy, and also be fond of old Atari games, but I've never owned a PlayStation or Xbox.
To be honest, I frequently forget GamePass even exists.

Marvel's Midnight Suns to be announced for the Switch 2.

@jordanlund that’s basically why I try to pirate if possible. To be able to actually own what I purchase digitally.

I spoke with my relatives recently, and they feel like the prospect of $80 games moving forward is discouraging them from buying Switch 2's right away. They of course mentioned relying more on their huge backlog to scratch their gaming itch for a while.

My own gaming habit has been transitioning to buying less and playing through my backlog more for a while now.

Ironically my hype for a new generation was motivating me to re-orient my finances around buying more games this year, but all the good will being sapped away has made me bounce right back to a penny-pinching mindset. I truly am interested to see whether or not so much good will being eroded will reflect in lower sales. Perhaps not. But I think it might.

I'm sure it's just a matter of time until Gamepass goes up in price, but for now, I couldn't be happier subscribing to Gamepass Ultimate. I'm gaming more than I have in years. It's great value at a time when things aren't looking great....not just with the gaming industry.

Just wanted to share my experience here with everyone, I used to have all consoles for the last 8 years or so but then I took the decision at the beginning of 2024 to sell my Series X and focus only on PS5 as my primary console and Switch for my family. A year after I feel now that I will focus more and more only on Nintendo Switch 2 when it launches. To be honest I'm enjoying my playtime with my daughter and wife more than playing games on PS5. The only thing I fear is the FOMO feeling but I hope the Switch 2 will be supported heavily by third party and more games be on it.

Gaming is getting expensive and I've new priorities rising in my life now so I need to make some adjustments which will be fair for everyone in my family.

@B_Lindz Just curious like do you put a monthly amount of money on your steam/ Nintendo accounts? Like 30$ every month or something like that!

I think that now is a fine time to get down to playing all my unplayed Switch games. I have so many, though not as many as most people here, I'm sure. First time commenting, though I've been on the site for years. Hi everyone!

I also think that I'll be buying more indie games over the big releases for the foreseeable future. Metroid Prime 4 is a must, I admit that. But otherwise, all of the games I'm looking forward to the most this year are indies: Witchbrook, Silksong, Hades II. I am SO excited for Hades II! Supergiant can inject it into my veins lol.

And I'm just as glad that all of these games are coming to the original Switch, because I'm certainly not getting a Switch 2 day one. Maybe a year or two down the line. We'll see what the prices look like in future.

@Jester676 I'm in the states, where the price of PS5 hasn't changed from its $400 base (yet). As a PlayStation owner, I check the weekly sales regularly. Sony games go on sale for up to 50% off several times a year.

@Khwarezm89 I'm still working through how much to add, but for my Nintendo Account, I have a credit card that gives me cash back on every purchase. One of the cash back options is to turn my points into Nintendo digital gift cards. That's what I've started doing.

I don’t think the higher prices will affect me too much. The only games I buy at launch must be something that I just cannot wait for, which is not too often. Most of my backlog are games bought on the PlayStation store sales for $20-30.

Games I will buy day one are usually exclusives like Zelda, Xenoblade, or other first party titles. You can usually count on 3rd party games, even really good ones, to be heavily discounted within a few months.

@PharoneTheGnome I was mostly saying that you don’t have to eat unhealthy, pre-prepared food that costs 3-4x more than if you were to make your own. If you do eat out or eat fast food daily, you could save probably $50-100 per week. Start cooking your own simple foods now, only drink water and you would have enough for a Switch 2 in a month

@bleeflooflah Where are you getting those prices at? Links?

• Wait for sales
  > compare prices (different regions!)
• Buy used copies
• Buy day one
• Get nsps / xcis

My habits changes a decade ago when games were unfinished at launch. So I got used to wait for a big discount and enjoy a finished game.

2017+ I cut back on PS/Xbox 1st party (not like I was interested in them anyway), as much as AAA 3rd parties to odd AAs and Indies and I have just seen so much repetitive gameplay design that I've even cut back on those because they are disappointing.

So left behind IPs, niche IPs from AAA, is as far as I go really. Even then only 3rd parties, not 1st party unless Nintendo because from 2017 & 2022 (2 different models) I got a Vita, 2018 a Wii U, 2020 a New 3DS XL and Switch OG model in 2021, alongside other retro consoles (OG DS in pink, have a DSi in metallic blue but USED to own a DS OG with a Mario Kart sticker and was cyan/light blue, Wii in black with GameCube ports compared to my other White GameCube model WIi (2nd Wii), Wii U 32GB Black (2nd Wii U), PS2 PHAT (2nd PS2), PS3 Super Slim (2nd I have, as my PS3 OG overheated to Mass Effect 3 or a hot day, so had a PS3 Slim since 2012 and this Super Slim not long probably a year or more) 360 Slim aka the ones I didn't have as replacements not to own all console models, oh and 1st N64 or Retron HD, SNES Classic & PS Classic) 2nd versions or 3rd versions depending.

So unless it's retro or particular taste in the modern era (as not a lot impresses) yeah nah. I am not interested most times.

I respect some Indies/AA or niche AAA games whether for full on the cart/digital or what game design they have but most of the time I have no interest. Devs mentality for design has not impressed me over the years and I find myself going to particular mechanics/level design/progression/movesets.

Price is a factor but it's low on the list encase that wasn't obvious. Same with artstyle or themes/setting they are low on the list. I'm open to them but gameplay has to be appealing.

That's coming from someone that HAS expanded their genre/IP taste to other genres I never would (sure I'd played visual novel mix with other types like Metropolismania, had Legend of Spyro before or others, but visual novels, tactics, hack n slashes, arcade racers were not types I'd really gotten into (tycoon, sim, kart racers and such I had before) and enjoying them.

Platformers, shooters and racing to me are the worst they have ever been of lacking modes, progression, movesets, level design or creativity of any kind that isn't obvious inspiration/clones, cute characters and weak game design or motorsport/car brand focus for also weak design and unlicensed but recreated tracks/cars so basically garbage weak no creativity to them.

So it's not a 1 genre or 1 IP issue, it's a expanded to things and seeing the issues/mentality/nostalgia & inspirations then spinning off to making the most of their limits of skills with dull efforts of creativity that disappoint of other genres design or companies willingness to be creative Indie or AAA.

I used to only play Nintendo for first party games, I played a crap ton more PlayStation then anything. Got a switch, then I got the ps5 and then I had kids and my ps5 is dusty as heck and my switch joycons joysticks are wearing out. If your a gamer with small children the switch is a god send.

I think it's somewhat related since the comments on the article saying to support your favorite sites was disabled...

It is kind of tone deaf imo to suggest people support their favorite sites, given the current economic climate. People will already have less money to go around and the last thing I think they would be likely to "help" are media and game sites. Especially sites that have in the past attacked the very audience they are now trying to garner support from. (Not saying Nintendo Life is in that). But gamers have been called toxic and everything else under the sun.

And now that the industry is raising prices we are expected to keep media afloat? My habits already changed. I buy games dirt cheap on Steam. I won't be touching game key cards when I can get those games on Steam for $5 or so and play them on my Steam Deck. I realize I am not representative of the vast majority of people here. But Nintendo I think is in for a rude awakening. They are rapidly pricing out the very people that are their bread and butter. Families. How many here know someone who has multiple Switch systems? These are Nintendo's most loyal customers. And buying multiple systems isn't enough. Nintendo removed game sharing so now if a family wants to play Mario Kart on the same network in the same home? They need to shell out for two systems and two copies of the same game. Let's say you buy two Switch 2 systems for that? That's $1,000. Just to play Mario Kart. I am not spending $80 for any Nintendo game. I will wait for a sale, or buy used. And if that isn't an option? Guess I won't be playing that game. Plain and simple. I have a backlog already. Nintendo fired the first shot and MS followed suit. Supporting $80 games is a green light for every publisher to do the same. The gaming industry I feel though will find those prices are unsustainable. You can't get blood from a stone.

My time has already been at a premium so not much will change there. I'm interested to see how this game key card situation will play out because I usually rent games and beat games from GameFly. I assume GameFly will adopt game key cards as well.