Nintendo Switch Release Date And Retail Price Confirmed, Region Locking Is Out

Region locking...it's been nice knowing ya.

FINALLY!

Early March, $299.99, no region locking. I like the sound of all of that.

@Captain_Toad hahahahahah!!!

Region locking is gone!
Yay, the only region locking I'm interested in is my private region, unlocked for special occasions.

Retailers set the prices in the US as well. MSRP is just the 'suggested' price. It is actually illegal to set prices in the US.

The biggest news is that it won't be region locked. Very good decision.

They Switched off region-locking! I'm also quite pleased that the release date is sooner than expected.

Had it been region locked, it would've been a deal breaker for me, no joke. So huge relief there.

REGION FREEEE...!!!
I'm so Extremely Happy !!
Domo Arigatou gozaimasu, Nintendo !

We're gonna get screwed on price here in Ireland

Glad region locking is gone
It's about Dang time!
BYE FELICIA, you wont be missed

$300 is ....alright
Definitely means that the Wii needs to get a price cut ASAP
The Price of the Wii U seems ridiculous especially since it's a dead system with only 1 game coming out

I can get Puyo Puyo on the Switch! PARTY!

I never really cared for Region Locking, to be honest. There just wasn't much Japan-imports for me to be interested in. But I guess this is good news...

PRAISE IWATA! NO MORE BUYING TWO SYSTEMS!!!! I will put that money to more games.

EDIT: The price was what I expected. I'll be getting Zelda for sure and I'll wait for further news for the launch games.

Guessing £250-£280 right?

sweet!

@Ryu_Niiyama Assuming they don't introduce a new model. We're not outta the woods just yet.

What about game Price's?

Having to pay online............noooooooooooooooooooo

@Angelic_Lapras_King I can deal with different models... It is owning multiple versions of them and having to keep two on me at all times that gets me.
I have owned 2 3ds originals NA, 1 3ds original JPN (gave it to a user on NL), 1 3dsXL NA, 1 n3ds XL NA, and 1 n3ds XL JPN. And I'll be buying a n3ds NA to have a tv out added. I only got rid of two of those systems. I carry both of my n3dsXL systems with me everywhere. It is a bit annoying (but great for streetpass lolol)

So yeah, money I could have spent on games.

EDIT: Besides if they slap a triforce on a new model I'm going to buy it. I have no self control.

@Menchi187 yeah probably, i'm expecting €299. but then everywhere takes the mick with prices in Ireland. good news is you can always order from game uk or amazon, that's how i got Twilight Princess HD, gamestop wanted 90 bleeding euro for it?!

Region-lock finally dead.
Now all they need is a proper account system and they'll finally be halfway to catching up to the modern world in terms of features and restrictions.

Region-free. 300 €. Long-enough battery life. Chargeable via USB.
With an open-world Mario game.
This is shaping up to be real good. Now, please be powerful enough.

I guessed right, never quite believed those $250 rumours.

All we need to know now are the cost of games and the cost of online. In other words how much money to run the system.

So yeah, more questions on cost than answers.

for me the saddest part was no more StreetPass, unrealistic i know....but they 100% confirmed my purchase with a no More Heroes 3!!! loved those games, hope they do a HD remake of 1&2 on switch would pay for a day1 switch just for that! (blood included, obviously)

A console handheld/hybrid with amazing advanced controlers, a big list of games for year 1, good battery life, and an open world 3D Mario game?

This is my dream system.

400 can$ + 100 game +tax ~600$can. Good luck with that Nintendo. I smell 3ds all over again.

It's launching cheaper than the 3DS, has a comparable battery life but can play modern gen games AND has no region lock? This is pretty awesome.

Now if Nintendo can follow-up and actually reveal the launch lineup at the Treehouse... this could be a 1 2 Knockout.

Are we going to have to pay now to play mario kart on line? I don't have Xbox or ps4 so not sure how it works.

Yes you can have a switch 3rd of march. No you can't play anything but Zelda.

$300 is reasonable, plus region-free gaming will be a big plus. It's nice to see Nintendo is with the times on this.

@ollyander Well you'll have the game "1, 2, Switch" on launch day as well. No detail on if it will be a pack in title or not, but the way it was announced it seemed like it would be. Hopefully Skyrim will be out on day one, but that's the only other game that looked to be a possible launch date title.

@faustcoolio Xbox One requires Xbox Live to play online. PS4 requires PS Plus for most games but not all to be played online, but most games of consequence require it now.

The only game we really play on wii u is mariokart 8, if nintendo releases new levels for wiiu version as well I'll unlikely to pick up switchtill new mario Odyssey is out.

@Nico07 if it's handled the same way Wii Sports was, it'll be sold as a standalone in Japan and will be a pack in outside of Japan

Ha, that slide with Switch big on top, and region locking on the bottom made it confusing when the discussion was no region locking. Like looking at one color and naming some other color.

I am really disappointed by the price. I feel like the average person will look at a PS4 for $299.99 and not even bother giving the NS a second glance. I know that those controllers are supposedly offering a nice bit of tech so.... Maybe old Wii fans will come back into the fold and for the rest of us it will be our second system. Will probably wait and just get BREATH OF THE WILD on my WiiU.

As a man torn between two continents, this is the best news

@Menchi187 In Greece it's gonna be even worse.

Oh my god this console is the end for Nintendo's hardware efforts. I can't believe I was right... I'm sad.

Finally! No region locking! I won't have to buy a Japanese Switch if NoA censors something!

@WhiteTrashGuy maybe the average person will compare the Switch with a $700 iPhone or tablet, which he should ,because this is a portable console (and honestly will have different games and experiences entirely).

I'm so glad region locking is gone. Importing is very handy for the rare instances when I want a game not available in my region.

Good price, I'll just wait to get the pro controller when it has some discount,I got the Wii U's pro controller that way.

Yay, should had done this since the Wii but oh well. Now remastered those games which we miss because of this. I'm talking Seiken Densetsu 3, Fatal Frame IV & V, and Another Code R.

@TheIronChimp Yes no more region locking but sadly gone is backwards compatibility. It's a worthy sacrifice though. We'll start a new with the Switch.

This price... o_O 349 for europeans?!

@Hotfusion Well, those rumours were true: it is the japanese price.

@Rei
I did think the Japanese price was correct because of the source.

But the Japanese price means nothing to me. I don't live there so really don't care.

The rumours that I was referring to were obviously Western prices.

No region-locking is a good thing. I probably won't make use of it, but people finally can get games from all over the world again.