Nintendo readies new Switch, Switch Lite and Switch 2 bundles for October 29

Nintendo has made its move ahead of the holiday season. As reported by Vandal, the Japanese company has announced a new wave of console bundles for Spain and the rest of Europe covering its entire current lineup: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite. Each one comes paired with one of the biggest hits in its catalog, and all of them will be available from October 29.

The news matters as much for what it doesn't say as for what it does. Nintendo is keeping the original Switch alive in the middle of the transition to Switch 2, betting on proven games instead of new releases and, for now, has not announced prices. For anyone thinking about jumping to the new machine, adding a second console to the household or gifting a handheld, this is one of those dates worth marking on the calendar.

What you need to know

• The new bundles cover Switch 2, the standard Switch and Switch Lite, and launch in Spain and Europe on October 29.
• The Nintendo Switch bundle includes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a physical copy, the console's best-selling game.
• The Nintendo Switch Lite bundle comes in turquoise with Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream as a download code.
• The Lite bundle also includes a free 30-day trial of Nintendo's online service.
• Nintendo has yet to reveal the price of any of the bundles.

What each bundle includes

The original Switch bundle is the most classic of the lot: console plus Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on a physical cartridge. It's a logical choice. We're talking about the system's best-selling title, with 48 tracks across land, sea and air, an online multiplayer that still fills up every night and a mountain of downloadable content built up since launch. If someone is going to buy a Switch in 2026, it's almost impossible they won't want this game, so packing it in removes one decision and, presumably, saves some money.

The Switch Lite, the model designed exclusively for handheld play, goes for a very different profile. The bundle comes in turquoise and includes Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, one of the console's latest big hits, though here as a download code rather than a physical game. On top of that comes a 30-day trial of the online service, a hook clearly aimed at anyone entering the Nintendo ecosystem for the first time.

As for the Switch 2 bundle, the information available from the source doesn't detail which title comes with it, so we'd rather not speculate. What is clear is that Nintendo wants its new console to have a presence on store shelves with its own bundle on the same date as the others.

A three-way holiday campaign

The most striking thing about the announcement is the strategy: Nintendo isn't pulling the original Switch from the shop window. With Switch 2 already on the market, you'd expect the company to focus all its efforts on the new machine, but instead it's offering three entry points at three different prices, even if those prices are still unknown. It's the same play it ran for years with the 3DS family: cover every budget and let the catalog, not the hardware, do the convincing.

For our community, this has a practical takeaway. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains a staple of community tournaments, Discord nights and livestreams, and a new Switch with the game included is the cheapest way to bring someone into those matches. The Lite bundle, meanwhile, targets a more casual, family-oriented audience; nobody is going to build a competitive squad around Tomodachi Life, but it is the kind of gift that ends up bringing new players into the ecosystem.

Our take

Here at the Underworld Lordz newsroom we see these bundles with interest, but without overflowing enthusiasm. Nintendo continuing to support the first Switch is good news for anyone who can't or doesn't want to pay for a Switch 2 right now, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is probably the best possible game to include out of the box. What bothers us is announcing a launch with a fixed date while leaving the price up in the air: without that figure, it's impossible to know whether we're looking at a real deal or just a full-price repackaging. Nintendo isn't exactly known for being generous with discounts, so we're staying cautious.

For competitive players, the advice is clear: if you're going to buy a console, the one that matters in the medium term is Switch 2, and the Lite bundle is off the table due to its lack of docked mode and TV output. We'd also have liked the Lite's game to be physical rather than a code; a cartridge can be lent out, resold and will outlive the closure of any digital store. For content creators, on the other hand, the October 29 date is an opportunity to prepare comparisons, unboxings and buying guides right before gift season.

In short: good on variety, mediocre on communication. When the prices arrive, we'll have the one figure that truly decides whether these bundles are worth it.

What do you think?

Nintendo puts three consoles on the table and lets everyone choose according to their budget, but without telling us yet how much each option costs. Let us know in the team chat or on our Discord: is an original Switch with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe still worth it at this point, or does it only make sense to go straight for Switch 2?