Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour Comes with a Minimal Cost

One of the announcements from the April Nintendo Switch 2 Nintendo Direct event was a game called Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. The digital-only game explains the console’s new features by dropping players into an enlarged Switch 2, with players walking around the surface of the console, reading signs, and playing demos that highlight the console’s new features.

Many expected this to be a free offering, but it’s a paid game. Just how much does it cost, though? In Japan, it’s priced at ¥990. This works out to about $6.50 USD. Regional pricing varies, and Nintendo hasn’t yet announced a price point for the US. GameSpot has contacted Nintendo in an attempt to find out.

“Through tech demos, minigames, and other interactions, players will get to know the new system inside and out in ways they may never have known about otherwise,” Nintendo said of Welcome Tour.

A popular Reddit post regarding Welcome Tour is filled with people roasting Nintendo for not making the game free. Some said they thought Welcome Tour would be a free pack-in game, while others referenced how Sony included Astro’s Playroom with new PS5 consoles to help players learn more about the console. Others pointed out how Valve gave players free access to The Lab, a compilation of tech demos for VR headsets.

Nintendo also ruffled some feathers by pricing the Switch 2 at $450 and charging $80 for Mario Kart World. The Switch 2 releases on June 5, with Mario Kart World as a launch title.

For more, be sure to check out GameSpot’s hands-on preview of the Switch 2 and our preview of Mario Kart World. GameSpot will have lots more on the Switch 2 in the days and weeks ahead.