Game industry analyst Michael Pachter recently did an entire episode of his show Pacther Factor about the Nintendo Switch console, where he answered questions from fans and shared his thoughts on the upcoming console.
Overall, he likes the console and says that it would be a good complimentary console for those who already own an Xbox One or PS4, but only if the price is right.
He says that Nintendo needs to make the Switch competitive with the PS4 and Xbox One in terms of price, and estimates that the Switch would cost $250, and at that price, it should be a successful console for Nintendo.
“It can be slightly under-powered at $249 and people will buy it because it’s a Nintendo console, but it probably can’t justify a price above $299.”
Pacther adds that “below 200 it will fly off the shelves”, but he doesn’t expect Nintendo to launch it at that price. He thinks that $249 is the right price, but above $299, “it’s in trouble”.
While Pather has been disagreeable in the past, he makes a lot of sense here. Priced at $250 when it launches in March, it would be a great “impulse buy” for many customers, especially gamers who already have an Xbox One and PS4 and want to play Nintendo content.
There is no way the Switch will be a big success if it costs more than $300, because by the time it launches, it’s likely that the Xbox One and PS4 might be at $250.
Check out the Nintendo Switch episode below:
