Summary
- Nintendo is bringing back the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle for the Nintendo Switch, including a base console, a digital voucher for the game, and a three-month Nintendo Switch Online subscription.
- Two new Nintendo Switch Lite bundles featuring Animal Crossing: New Horizons will also be available, with exclusive designs on the consoles and digital copies of the game.
- Despite rumors of a successor to the Switch, Nintendo continues to support its current hardware lineup and release new bundles.
Fans hoping to get a new Nintendo Switch bundle ahead of the holiday season are in luck, as the company revealed the return of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle and two Switch Lite Bundles featuring Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All three Switch bundles will be available starting in October, over a month ahead of Black Friday.
The news of these Mario Kart and Animal Crossing bundles arrives as rumors and leaks concerning the Switch's successor continue to ramp up. According to the latest rumors, the Switch's successor may feature backward compatibility with Switch games and may be as powerful as Sony's PS5 as far as the graphics potential goes. But, all rumors must be taken with a grain of salt until stated otherwise by Nintendo. Though the Switch's successor is still not coming to market anytime soon, that has not stopped Nintendo from offering more from its current hardware lineup.
Starting on Friday, October 6, the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle returns to store shelves in the US. Originally released in 2020, this bundle will include a base Switch console, a digital voucher for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a three-month subscription to the Nintendo Switch Online service. Given the fact that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the best-selling Nintendo Switch game, the new bundle will add to those sales figures. Despite the news of a new Switch bundle, some social media users were disappointed that the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle will not feature any themed designs on the console or the Joy-Con controllers. Some users also pointed out that DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is not part of the bundle, as the DLC can be obtained via the Nintendo eShop or the Expansion Pack upgrade for the Switch Online service.
Two new Nintendo Switch Lite bundles will also be available starting on October 6, and these will feature some art from Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the consoles' casing and include digital copies of the game. The Switch Lite bundle titled Isabelle's Aloha Edition will be exclusive to Target in the US and will include a pink console with leaf patterns on the back of the unit and an Animal Crossing logo on the right side, next to the Home Button. A teal-shaded counterpart called Timmy and Tommy's Aloha Edition will be exclusive to Walmart in the US.
With the Nintendo Switch continuing to break milestones seven years after its release, it stands to reason why Nintendo continues to offer the console for as long as possible. With the Switch's successor looming on the horizon, it remains to be seen what Nintendo will do.