I’ve owned a Nintendo Switch from day one.
However, my friend’s partner, who is primarily a PC gamer, wanted to finally jump on the Nintendo bandwagon so they could enjoy exclusives such as Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey.
I was asked, keeping in mind the Switch is now over 4 years old, if the Switch consoles come with any pack-in games. You know, a bit like the bundles you get with the PS4 and Xbox One.
Being the local gaming guy, I thought I’d do a little research for them and you. This is what I found…
So, does the Nintendo Switch come bundled with games? Some Nintendo Switches do come with pack-in games. These games usually take the form of a downloadable code and are usually never physical cartridge-based games. Most pack-in bundle games only come in special addition Nintendo Switches. All the switch models, including the SwitchLlight on rare occasions, come with pack-in games.
In the next few sections, I’ll take a look at some of the Nintendo Switches that include pack-in games. I’ve split the following sections up by Switch type. We’ll look at the normal Switch, the Switch Lite, and special edition Switches.
Let’s take a look…
Normal Switch pack-in game bundles
Very few normal Nintendo Switch consoles come with a pack-in game. In fact, I’ve only found one Nintendo Switch that came with the pack-in bundled game. That’s the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Eight Deluxe Edition.
The Nintendo Switch Mario kart Eight Deluxe Edition is not a special edition console. Inside the box, you’ll get a normal Nintendo switch, a normal dock, and the normal neon blue and red Joy-Cons. The only difference from a normal Switch is that the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Eight Deluxe Edition comes with a Mario kart Eight Deluxe downloadable code.
The game does not come pre-installed on the Nintendo Switch. Like all pack-in games, you must download the game from the Nintendo eShop. You will not get a physical cartridge or box like you would if you bought the game in a normal shop.
Also, the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart Eight Deluxe Edition comes with three months of Nintendo switch online. This can again be redeemed on the Nintendo switch the eShop.
You can buy the bundle here.
Keep in mind that stores might run their own bundles on special shopping days such as Black Friday. These can offer some fantastic deals and deep discounts. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that these are not official Nintendo sanctioned bundles. So you need to shop around to get the best deal.
Switch lite pack-in game bundles
Though the Nintendo Switch Lite comes in a number of colors, it never includes a pack-in game in the box.
The console is sold at a substantial discount of $199.99 compared to the normal Switch, which retails for $299.99.
For Nintendo to hit the $200 price point and still make a profit, they couldn’t include a game with the console.
However, as Switch Lite’s technology matures and components such as the screen, CPU, SSD, and GPU become cheaper, I’d expect to start to see bundled in games to tempt consumers who are late adopting the Nintendo Switch.
There is a special edition Pokemon Switch lite. But it doesn’t come with a pack in game.
Special edition Switch pack-in game bundles
There a number of Switch Special editions that come with a pack-in bundled game. I’ve listed a few of them for you below.
Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition
The Nintendo Switch Animal Crossing: New Horizons edition comes with the new Animal Crossing game bundled in as a downloadable code that can be redeemed on the Nintendo eShop.
In addition to the New Horizons game, the Nintendo Switch comes with a custom Animal Crossing dock designed to mirror New Horizons’ art style. The console also comes with unique Joy-Con colors. One Joy-Con is light green and the other Joy-Con is light blue.
Check out the Animal Crossing bundle here.
Nintendo Switch Mario Odyssey Edition
The Nintendo Switch Super Mario Odyssey Edition comes with Super Mario Odyssey bundled in as a downloadable code to be redeemed on the Nintendo eShop.
What makes this different from other Nintendo Switch special editions is that the Switch’s dock does not have any graphics imprinted on it. However, both Joy-Cons are red to match Mario’s signature red cap.
The bundle is not sold new anymore. It can be bought used, but they are usually extremely expensive and considered a collector’s item.
If you really want this bundle, and you have money to throw on the fire, I’d suggest heading over to eBay or some other preowned website to see if you can find it. However, do expect to pay a premium.
Nintendo Switch Monster Hunter Rise Deluxe Edition
The Nintendo Switch Monster Hunter Rise Deluxe Edition comes with a digital download copy of Monster Hunter Rise. But that’s not the only thing that this gold-encrusted bundle comes packing.
The Monster Hunter Rise bundle also includes a custom dock and custom grey joy cons. All of which come emblazoned with grey and gold graphics and accents.
This, like many other Nintendo switch game bundles, can be quite hard to get hold of. If you have your heart set on owning this particular bundle you can expect to pay a premium for it.
Take a look here to find this bundle.
Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition
Just like the Monster Hunter Rise bundle above, the Nintendo Switch Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Edition bundle is also a rare beast to hunt and often sells for quadruple the normal Switch’s RRP.
This, like other special edition bundles, includes the Super Smash Bros game as a downloadable code.
Also, along with the downloadable code, you get a custom Dock with the grey-scale graphics of Smash Bro heroes and Smash Bros inspired custom Joy-cons.
This collectible Nintendo Switch bundle often sells for over $1000 on Amazon. This makes it one of the most expensive special edition Switches on the market. However, It can be found cheaper on websites such as eBay.