Nintendo Fans Rage as ‘Ghost of Yotei’ Is $10 Cheaper Than ‘Mario Kart World’

Nintendo’s pricing of Mario Kart World has come under fire again after Sony revealed that Ghost of Yotei would launch at just $70. The price comparison between the games immediately sparked a debate online about what AAA games should be charging players.

‘Ghost of Yotei’ has Nintendo Fans Asking, “Why $80?”

When Nintendo first announced the Nintendo Switch 2 on April 2, the Direct was well-received. However, excitement for the new console turned sour when players realized Nintendo was charging $80 for Mario Kart World. This decision left many loyal fans in disbelief. Especially as the Japanese publisher became the first to break the $70 price barrier established during the PS5 and Xbox Series era.

Players grew even more upset on April 23, when Sony announced that Ghost of Yotei would launch at just $69. Gamers took to social media to sound off about the price difference. With many arguing that Ghost of Yotei is a “bigger-budget game” with “better visuals.” One user wrote, “Ghost of Yotei is still $70, meanwhile Mario Kart and Zelda for Switch are $80 despite having a much smaller budget than Ghost. Can’t make this up.” Another exclaimed, “Now this is what $70 games should look like… hope you learn, Nintendo.”

A growing consensus among critics is that Ghost of Yotei is allegedly a higher-budget game than Mario Kart World. And looks better visually—yet it’s still $10 cheaper. Following Mario Kart World‘s reveal, many had speculated its $80 price tag would encourage Sony and other major publishers to start charging more. However, as of now, it appears only Nintendo is willing to dip into the higher retail cost. Which has once again put a spotlight on Mario Kart‘s expensive pricing.

Will Game Prices Rise because of the Nintendo Switch 2?

Not everyone agrees that it’s fair to compare Mario Kart World and Ghost of Yotei. Some Nintendo fans actually pushed back against the outrage, arguing that Nintendo games are “more premium,” which justifies the higher price. There were also many players who pointed out that Ghost of Yotei has a “deluxe edition” that costs $80.

Regardless of which side you fall on, Ghost of Yotei has only further ignited the debate about what consumers feel they should pay for AAA experiences. However, there still seems to be a perception that Sony games are “more AAA” than Nintendo’s due to the PS5’s more advanced console hardware. Still, many expected Nintendo’s jump to $80 to set off a firestorm of publishers rushing to raise their prices.

But that might not be the case. Recently, Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered for just $49, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is being sold on Steam for $44—despite reviewers calling it a potential Game of the Year contender. So, perhaps the industry will wait a little longer before matching Nintendo’s pricing. And of course, Sony might hold off until the PS6 to increase the retail cost of their AAA titles. But for now, it seems like Nintendo is leading the charge on its own, despite the backlash.