Mario Kart World Switch 2 bundles likely won’t last until the holidays, regardless of price

Nintendo’s Mario Kart World Direct showed off a variety of cool new wrinkles coming to the open-world racing game for the Nintendo Switch 2, like a rewind feature and some new items you can huck at opponents. However, Nintendo didn’t share some key information: how much those of us in North America can expect to pay for the Mario Kart World Switch 2 Bundle, or when we can be allowed to fork over our cash to pay for one.

Mario Kart World and its associated Switch 2 bundle were originally slated to be open for pre-orders on April 9, but both were quickly put on hiatus following the announcement of tariffs to the United States. While the game itself is less likely to be impacted by these tariffs, the substantial $79.99 price has people looking for any way to save a few bucks. The Switch 2 bundle, which includes a copy of Mario Kart World, raises the price of the console from $449.99 to $499.99, and while this assumes that the pre-tariff pricing remains unchanged, its safe to assume that this bundle will fly off the shelves — regardless of what it costs.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the first major console launch since the effectively joint 2020 release of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X. Following the release of the PS5, it was nearly impossible to get your hands on one due to a variety of factors, including chip shortages — and, of course, scalpers. This scarcity continued until 2023.

While online retailers have installed a variety of countermeasures to curb efforts to scalp the Nintendo Switch 2, it’s unlikely that retailers will be able to keep up with the demand. The running joke around the Polygon office has been, “How quickly could Nintendo move Switch 2 production to the U.S.?” Unless the answer is “before November,” I wouldn’t expect to see any Black Friday discounts on this console or its associated bundle.