
As you're no doubt aware, the Nintendo Switch eShop gets a new boatload of titles to choose from with every passing week. Naturally, each week's new arrivals vary in genre, budget, and quality (keep an eye on our eShop Selects series for the best of the latter), but this week sees something a little different appearing on the store. That's right, Nintendo Switch is getting a calculator.
It's (rather effectively) called Calculator and is literally a calculator – you know, for calculating. How many times will we say calculator in this article? Calculator.
It launches tomorrow, 12th May, and costs a rather steep £8.09. We say steep because you can buy a real scientific calculator for considerably less than that, or – as we imagine most of us do these days – just use your computer or phone for free. Still, it's a thing that's happening, and here's the official eShop description to prove it:
"A scientific calculator with a clear easy-to-read multi-line display, which should help with those not-so-easy-to-do maths problems.
"Calculator has an appealing modern and practical design, sure to be popular with all students and engineers."
It's "sure to be popular with all students and engineers," so will you be buying this when it launches on the eShop tomorrow? Sum up your thoughts in the comments below.
Comments 114
No thanks. I generally don’t game while I’m doing my taxes.
"How much?!"
Click to find out! Ho ho!
First Spongebob now this?
......55378008.......and turn upside down lol
At least someone is listening to the fans.
I could understand a fully emulated TI83+, but this seems a little unnecessary.
The calculator built into my phone is perfectly fine, this is basically a scam.
I'm sure my kids would love to bring a Switch to their maths class, with the excuse of, "it's my calculator."
@Handy_Man
It is not a scam, it is a calculator app for a price.
It is up front about what it is so nothing scammy about it and if people can get a use out of it then great.
If people buy it expecting something else they haven't been scammed they are just stupid.
Finally, an app I can count on.
My current calc of choice is the wonderful PCalc on iOS.
If I didn't have an mobile device by my side at all times, this could be a handy replacement, and with the Switch's "turn back on to resume where you left off" ability, it'd be functional when necessary.
If you don't have anything else, I don't see why this can't be an incredibly useful app.
I calculate my chance of getting this to be 0.00%.

Joke's on me when this thing becomes a rare NFT or the like down the line and the rarest Nintendo eShop title of all time.
Boooooooooo!
😁
@TheFullAndy I think the word he was looking for was, Rip-off.
Back when I was on college, I always had with me my HP12C calculator and my 3DS. I would love to have both on the same device.
Now, I dont know that this calculator is good for, but maybe serves a purpose for some student out there.
@Snatcher You could always wait for a sale 😉
@Snatcher
Probably but if somone was buying this for a specific purpose then I imagine they would get their money's worth.
Yes, you may bring your own calculator to the exam.
No, you may not bring your Nintendo Switch running calculator software to the exam.
I'll wait for the sequel.
I can't imagine a whole lot of people getting this. Even if you want a handy calculator.. there's easily better options available for cheaper. This seems to be expensive just to be expensive, in my eyes.
Things that make you wonder why.
Yeah right, as if would turn on the Switch, in times of Smartphones😂 and than paying for that extra
This is a Sin, Cos you could use the money to buy yummy Pi instead. Sorry for going off on a Tan-gent.
Do you think LRG is gonna do a physical release of this one?
Everyone has a free scientific calculator on their phone, so why in earth would anybody be stupid enough to pay for one on a game console? /shrug
@TheFullAndy,
I was expecting a free calculator app that not only completed my taxes, but paid them too.
The fact that both the Game.com and Pro 200 handhelds from 1998 had built-in calculator but not the Switch is disappointing at this point.
Day one purchase! I wonder how many extra levels it has?
So, now we can have a calculator that not only technically runs every DOOM game, but also Crysis.
Edit: to be honest, if I were still in school and needed to buy a scientific calculator anyways, I would use this excuse to play my Switch in class.
"What are you doing there?" - "Calculating, what does it look like?" - "It SOUNDS like you're ripping and tearing demons again..." - "I must have divided by zero or something."
@Handy_Man It's not a scam. You get what you pay for. You can say that it's overpriced. Sure.
Also funny thing is. I used to play games on my calculator, now I can have a calculator on my gaming device.
On a different note, I make some awesome Windows tools as a developer. Maybe I should port those to the Switch.
I'll just use my phone... ha ha...
@Dethmunk Well, if someone buys it (which they will) it has proven the point.
I’ll wait for your review, nintendolife
I'll wait for the free to play with loot boxes version
“…Costs a rather steep £8.09. We say steep because you can buy a real scientific calculator for considerably less than that”
While I don’t think the price is particularly great value for an app that doesn’t appear to be much more powerful than the default iPhone one, I also think it’s worth pointing out that most decent scientific calculators cost more than eight quid. The cheapest CASIO I could find on Amazon was £10 (reduced from £15) rising to £20 (reduced from £33) for the more advanced model, and though there was one a decent looking RENUS one for £6, I wouldn’t say that was considerably cheaper.
Now, if this isn't a system seller, I don't know what is.
This needs a physical release.
@Maxz The point is that it's not of this time anymore to make such apps. It's outdated.
Everyone and their grandmother have a smartphone these days and they all come with a built-in scientific calculator.
So why on earth would you want to pay for a calculator on a game console, when you have an excellent one on your phone for free already. (both iPhone and android)
charging this much for a calculator app that you can get for free on your phone... well that does not ADD up!! 😀
The switch has finally hit the wii's level of shovelware.
@Dethmunk To play Doom in class.
Does it even do graphs?
@Jeronan I understand that. Like I said, I don’t think it’s great value for an app that doesn’t seem much more powerful than the default iPhone one. Nevertheless, the point still stands that real scientific calculators typically cost more than eight quid.
I’m not sure I’d describe the iPhone calculator app as excellent. Serviceable for basic arithmetic, but a bit rubbish for inputting complex strings of data as everything has to be done stepwise. The average internet browser beats it for anything involving multiple brackets, powers and trigonometric functions, and a proper scientific calculator comes out on top for formatting and ease of use in nearly all cases.
But like, proper scientific calculators don’t cost significantly less than £8.
What Smartphones have for calculators is decent but not the best. I purchased a Sharp EL506a and the an EL506d while getting my degree and they are simply some of the best ever made. The reasoning for these calculators though has nearly been eliminated as most calculations for CS are already done for people.
think ill wait for the physical release lol...
@Patendo Heh, Nice
So what... one month... two months(?) until:
a) They realize that design is soooo 2007
b) It goes free.
The real question is does
1÷ 3 x 3 = 1 or 0.999999.
Some floating point thing, I think.
That's hilarious. The perfect calculator to calculate the extra Switch tax you're paying simultaneously. 😉
@Ghost_of_Hasashi now I'd like to meet a kid who owned that handheld
I thought that interface looked familiar. I checked and yep, it looks exactly like the one for the old iPhone/iPod Touch:
http://iphone.tgbus.com/zt/images/cn/iphone/features/images/main_calculator20080609.jpg
I miss those days when I could just pretend my iPod Touch was some fancy calculator in class. Smartphones were far from widespread and all my friends were so fascinated. My favorite thing to show off was the album art and how you could scroll through it when you turned the iPod on its side. That and playing Pokemon on a GBA emulator.
@Snatcher I don't see how it's a rip-off. The best calculator apps take time and effort to develop and cost money to buy. Even the good Android ones, whose users are famously resistant to paying for apps, cost $3 or so, while pCalc for iOS is $9.99.
@scottishwildcat Heck, your phone usually comes with a calculator.
@Steel76 I agree
I remember when I had a homebrewed PSP with a scientific graphing calculator application on it. The teachers couldn't think of a concrete reason to disallow it (especially when faced with the "People play things like tetris/doom on their normal graphing calculators all the time, what's the difference?") so that was pretty nice (especially since the calculators used to cost, like, $150 for a "real" one, so good money savings).
Something people need to remember is a lot of the time, phones are explicitly banned for classroom use in high school/college, regardless of what apps are on it, due to the internet access/messaging/etc.
@scottishwildcat Uh? I didn't call it a rip off (Kinda did) just thought it was kinda overpriced for a switch app but hey, to each their own.
This app got more press coverage than niche games like Paradise Killer or Root Film. So clearly they are doing something right. 😉
@Earl_Grey Yeah it’ll do graphs.....in the $3.99 expansion DLC 😂
I wonder when they'll patch in the multiplayer mode
I ONLY use the digital ones where you can type classroom obsenities
Hey, if it used switch online, you’d have to wait two weeks for the answer to your math problems!
Sabec Limited
https://sabecltd.com/
Looks like they make a lot of games that you would see on machines in the pub.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/company/84817-sabec-limited
Interesting, they started with a few mobile games in 2009 - 2010 and then no releases for 8 years and in 2018 they had some releases for the switch. But they had 41 releases in 2020 so they must have had some funds injected.
I think what is interesting too, is that these games might be targeting an older demographic (like in retirement age) because it's games like blackjack, poker, chess, roulette.
They probably said "hey, nobody has made a calculator for the switch, let's do that."
Does it have online?
@Patendo Boobies is spelled with a 1. You need to work on your math skills.
@B_Lindz I wasn't spelling boobies, as kids it was BOOBLESS in my class lol
Completed it, mate. Unlocked the secret ending. Can't say what it is, don't want to spoil it.
No thanks, I'll stick to Mario Maker 2 if I need to do some calculations
Ooh, it has secant and cosecant. Fancy!
@huntr132 If they did, they'd charge $30 lol
this design is 100% stolen from the old built in ios calculator (around fw 6 or something)
@Patendo Boobless 😂😂😂😂😂 Oh my gosh, you just made my morning. Hahaha!!!
Haven't we clamoured for Switch to have apps we can much more easily use on our nigh everpresent smartphones instead? Monkey paw is a harsh mistress.
If it has features such as charts, graphs and basic numerical database keeping, it could actually be useful. As a pure calculator it needs to take advantage of the fact it is on a game console, so should have had a "math test" mode like brain age, as a side game to the main function.
@huntr132 either LRG or Super Rare, for sure.
Apple, stick to mobile games. You will fail at a dedicated gaming system and environment.
This seems a little to calculated👀
Don't count on me for this release😒
waiting for a physical release
So what are the chances this is actually one of those things that turns into a GBA emulator when you put in the right number.
Day one!
1+1=3, right?
My body is ready.....
How much is £8.09 in euros? Guess I'll need a calculator...
❗No thanks.
I'll just use the 'Mario Calculator' on my N3DS:XL...
A counting app for a whopping £8.09?? Count me out…
Dude I have a phone, go away. The dev. Not you guys ❤️
What games are on Calculator?
My problem with this app is not the fact it exist or the price, I have no problem with such an app, and nothing can come for free. When something is free, there is always a reason, whatever it is, and if you make something and expect low sale, the price will be higher. (not talking about the AAA game logic, but normal selling logic)
My problem with it lie in the fact that the interface is basically copy-pasted from Apple's iOS 3 calculator.
I don't know how Nintendo allowed that to happen.
I'll get it!
For free!
Because I hacked my Switch.
Custom Firmware all the way baby, free calculator for meeeeeee.
I'd like to see someone make a notebook app for Nintendo Switch though not expensive.
@Deppasois Exactly. Don't forget we already have mario calculator.
The free demo comes out, but it only includes the numbers 3, 7 and 8, and only does subtraction and division.
@ChrisHoi I've just grassed you up to Shigeru Miyamoto 😊
Nintendo Switch - THE BIGGEST pocket calculator in the world!
Also, it's 53 MB. What the heck is taking up that much space? There's a good chance it's hiding something else in there....
Why do the buttons have e^x or x^2? Can the Switch not do superscripts?
@westman98
REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
@Marioman2020
It all adds up.
I would understand the appeal for this if it had graphing capabilities to use this instead of a TI, but nope.
I just rather buy a 10$ CASIO calculator that it's easier to carry around...
"sure to be popular with all students and engineers,"
No, it probably won't be at all since I'm sure most classrooms and workplaces won't allow you to whip out a gaming console.
This looks like a port of the iOS6 calculator
on DSi/3DS it costs 1€
and on switch 8 ... xD
I can see why opinions are divided on this one...
My first calculator had a game built in...
https://images.app.goo.gl/mZWiD7PPeRvsfw1M7
It's literally the pre-iOS 7 calculator.
I'll use...the calculators that I already own.
Now I can digits myself to death....
@Kriven What's Meebo?
@ModdedInkling Basically meaning your phone, right, Nathan?
Umm ok? But I can get actual calcs for much cheaper and I have a free one on my phone.
The comment section did not disappoint in the puns department. XD I knew I could count on you guys.
@MoonKnight7 Does taxes while gaming, confuses tax employees by converting dollars to gil, because you got distracted
It does have a nice big screen for it. But if it was free then l would get it.
Sounds almost like a money laundering scheme.
@noswitchbutidc
Phone, PC, Google Calculator, and the actual scientific calculators that schools want you to use.
I hope they are planning on a physical release, I definitely need that in my collection 🙄
Most people would have an in-built calculator like this on their phones. Why anybody would pay what I'm guessing will translate to AU$15 (!!!!) is beyond me. The fact that the devs thought that anything more than a couple of quid for a digital calculator was in any way reasonable makes this even more ridiculous. You can easily grab a decent scientific calculator for that kind of money. What gives?
Can't you just picture a bespectacled scientist in a white lab coat striding into the lab with a Nintendo Switch tucked under his arm?
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