As rumours for the Nintendo Switch keep being thrown around, a date (and a price point) has seemingly been confirmed via UK based retailer GameSeek.
A pre-order listing has appeared on GameSeek’s website for the Nintendo Switch that not only lists a release date for March 17th, 2017 (which matches up to a previous report from LetsPlayVideoGames’ Laura Kate Dale), but also lists a price for the upcoming console-mobile hybrid at only £198.50 (approx. $250 USD).
GameSeek is the second UK retailer to list a £200/$250 USD price point for the Nintendo Switch, however it is the first to have an official listing. The price point apparently comes with a pre-order guarantee, which means that the retailer could potentially be taking a huge risk with the price of the console. Interestingly, it seems GameSeek doesn’t want the page open to the public just yet; the internal search engine on the retailer’s site yields no results, however a quick google search brings up the page with no problems.
It should be noted that no games have been listed along with the console, which also adds a bit of legitimacy to the listing instead of just being added to fuel rumours. However, the March 17th, 2017 release date is marked with a notice that it can be changed by Nintendo at any time, which could mean it’s simply a placeholder. Regardless, what’s exciting about all of this is more concrete evidence to how much the Nintendo Switch is going to cost. Nintendo has historically priced their systems at lower, more accessible prices than the competition, which makes this price look very realistic and believable.
Since specifications for the console have also leaked, this could mean Nintendo’s focus still shoves graphical capabilities off to the side. With a rumoured launch list including the Skyrim remaster, and wanting to target themselves to an older audience, it will be interesting to see how Nintendo to position the console in the competitive gaming landscape.
