(Credit: Nintendo)
Pokémon Pokopia isn’t officially an $80 Switch 2 game, like Mario Kart World, but a recent price rise on Amazon US may mean you’re paying that to get a physical copy in the coming days.
There are reports of stock constraints for Pokopia across US retailers, with many running out of physical copies. As spotted by IGN, Amazon increased its price from $69.99 to $79.99, since it was one of the few retailers with remaining stock, though the only option currently listed is $99.99 through a third-party seller.
According to Amazon price-tracking tool CamelCamelCamel, the change occurred on March 9, over a week after the game's Feb. 27 release. Other retailers, including GameStop, Target, Walmart, and even Nintendo’s own store, show the game as out of stock.
The Amazon listing includes a "High price" notice; clicking it displays a note from Amazon's Rufus AI that says: "Amazon strives to offer customers high-quality pricing. We've recently seen better prices for this item on Amazon or from other retailers."
It’s rare for a retailer to charge above a recommended retail price, as it would frustrate customers and result in lower sales as people flock to competitors. However, Amazon reportedly did something similar earlier this month with the Switch 2 version of Resident Evil Requiem, raising the price there by almost $7. It’s clear the retailer has seen an opportunity to make more money when demand for Switch 2 titles is higher.
Games business journalist and analyst Christopher Dring claims UK retail was “seriously undersupplied” at launch, saying its physical game sales are not even half of what it sold with Legends Z-A late last year.
It’s unclear whether Nintendo kept stock of the game intentionally low to encourage more digital sales or whether Pokopia's success has come as a surprise.
PCMag's Pokopia review called the game a "must-play game" for fans of Animal Crossing or Minecraft. Will Greenwald said, "It's a cozy, violence-free romp full of video games' most marketable animals, with many ways to make the world look and feel how you want it to. It's incredibly fun to explore, meet Pokémon, and build your ideal little town."