While the gameplay reveal of Mario Kart World generated a lot of excitement, the price tag is creating a lot of controversy — Mario Kart World will retail at $80 for the digital edition, and the internet is not happy about it. Even worse for a lot of fans, the physical version may be even more expensive. Needless to say, the reaction to the hefty price increase from the previous Nintendo Switch has been anything but positive, and this may be a prelude to what's to come for game prices in the future.

On a Reddit post by Donkey Kong Bananza listed for $70.

BugsMax1 also notes that the price tag on the popular IP may be testing to see how much money people are willing to pay, saying: "I think they're trying to test the waters and see how far they can push people" and calling the pricing from Nintendo "absolutely disgusting and greedy behaviour."

Unfortunately, It May Be Even More Than $80

The Physical Edition May Be Pricer Than The Digital Edition

While the digital version of Mario Kart World will be $80, the physical version of the game could be even more expensive. According to the Spanish Nintendo Store (text in Spanish), the physical version of Mario Kart World will be €89.99, or about $97 USD. It remains to be seen if that price tag will affect other regions or if it is solely Spain and possibly other European regions. Donkey Kong Bananza is listed for €69.99 for the digital version and €79.99 for the physical version, so it appears the pricing is currently on a case-by-case basis.

With Grand Theft Auto 6 rumored and speculated to cost more than current games, maybe even $100, there seems to be a lot of concern regarding the newly announced pricing of Mario Kart World. As the Nintendo Switch 2 costing more than most probably expected, that concern may be justified for a lot of people.

Our Take: The Hefty Price Is A Huge Risk

Different Prices For Digital And Physical Games Could Set A Trend

The price tag for Mario Kart World is a sizable risk. The reaction to the price increases of this console generation for most games was controversial already, but a digital version of a game to cost $80 and potentially even more for the physical release is unprecedented and could set a trend of more expensive games moving forward, depending on how successful the game ends up being.

No matter the case, the gut reactions to this pricing model are predominantly negative so far, and customers are sure to voice their stance on the price with their wallets when Mario Kart World releases alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.

Source: Nintendo, Turbostrider27/Reddit, BugsMax1/Reddit, Insider Gaming, Spain Nintendo Store