Walmart is already leading the charge on Nintendo Switch deals ahead of Prime Day
Big savings on consoles and games
We're just days away from Amazon's second Prime Day sale of the year, but Walmart is getting in with some early Nintendo Switch deals that are well worth jumping on ahead of time. I'm always checking Walmart's game deals during these major sales events - the retailer always seems to be beating both Amazon and Best Buy in price, even on new releases. It's the same story today, with a number of recent releases dropping below $50 and while Amazon is keeping up with some of those discounts, Walmart's actually the place to be ahead of official Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals.
Of course, there's the big one. The Nintendo Switch OLED Mario Kart bundle appeared on Walmart's shelves earlier in the week and while Best Buy now has a listing, it's 99 cents cheaper at the big box store. You'll find it available, with 12 months of Nintendo Switch Online subscription, for $349 right now. That's astonishing value, packing $109 worth of extra goodies into the standard price of the OLED console.
It's the games themselves that are taking straight price cuts, though. Heavy hitters like Super Mario Bros. Wonder (now $47.87 at Walmart) and Princess Peach Showtime (now $47.99 at Walmart) are currently more expensive at Amazon. Not only that, but I don't expect these prices to fall further once Prime Day gaming deals hit the shelves next week. After all, it's rare enough to find a first party game for under $50 - even some of the older titles struggle to break that boundary.
Today's best Nintendo Switch deals at Walmart
- Switch OLED: from $309.50
- Switch: from $279.95
- Switch Lite: from $170
- Games: from $19.93
- Controllers: from $15
- SD cards: from $7.99
- Cases: from $9.99
Nintendo Switch OLED | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | 12 months Nintendo Switch Online | $458.98 $349 at Walmart
Save $109 - Considering Mario Kart 8 Deluxe comes in at $59.99 MSRP and that 12 month Nintendo Switch Online membership is $49.99 by itself, you're getting a fantastic discount on this Nintendo Switch OLED bundle. This is typically the kind of offer we see over Black Friday, so grabbing it before Amazon's October Prime Day is a win.
Buy it if:
✅ You want a multiplayer game from the off
✅ You like racing titles
✅ You generally play in handheld mode
Don't buy it if:
❌ You only play in docked mode
Price check: Amazon: OOS | Best Buy: $349.99
Super Mario RPG | $59.99 $39.75 at Walmart
Save $20.24 - Super Mario RPG has been dropping its price for a while now, but it's not been seen at under $40 all too often. Walmart has a $20 discount on the port right now, dipping it to $39.75.
Buy it if:
✅ You like turn based gameplay
✅ You prefer 3D Mario
✅ You enjoyed the original
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want traditional Mario platforming
Price check: Amazon: $39.75 | Best Buy: $59.99
Princess Peach: Showtime | $59.99 $47.99 at Walmart
Save $12 - Princess Peach: Showtime is a newer entry in Nintendo Switch's roster, but it's already taking a healthy price cut. This is generally as high as discounts go on first party releases, regardless of their age.
Buy it if:
✅ You want loads of different environments to explore
✅ You like 3D gameplay
✅ You're buying for kids
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want side-scrolling action
Price check: Amazon: $56.50 | Best Buy: $59.99
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | $59.99 $47.28 at Walmart
Save $12.71 - It's an older one, and a port at that, but Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury has struggled to get its price down in the past. This has generally only ever seen discounts of around $5 - $8 in previous sales, so grabbing it for under $50 is a fantastic result.
Buy it if:
✅ You prefer 3D Mario
✅ You enjoyed the original game
✅ You like precise platforming
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want to play a more recent release
Price check: Amazon: $51.99 | Best Buy: $59.99
Super Mario Bros. Wonder | $59.99 $47.87 at Walmart
Save $12.12 - The latest Mario game to hit the shelves is now under $50 at Walmart. This is a price we've seen from time to time before, but it's only started appearing in the last few months. While regularly on sale over the course of its life, Wonder has rarely dipped below that threshold.
Buy it if:
✅ You want classic side-scrolling action
✅ You want to check out those new mechanics
✅ You like collecting
Don't buy it if:
❌ You prefer 3D Mario
Price check: Amazon: $52.40 | Best Buy: $59.99
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | $59.99 $49.94 at Walmart
Save $10 - It might have released alongside the original console back in 2017, but Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still an expensive game. The kart racer rarely takes discounts below $50, but Walmart is bucking the trend before Prime Day even kicks off.
Buy it if:
✅ You want more multiplayer options
✅ You enjoyed previous entries
✅ You want online play
Don't buy it if:
❌ You don't like racing games
Price check: Amazon: $54.29 | Best Buy: $55.99
Should you wait for Prime Day?
Amazon's Big Deal Days event is just a couple of days away, so it's natural to be hesitant about jumping in too early. I've been following these sales for years now, though, and I'm fairly confident we're not going to see anything too dramatic happening to these prices. If those numbers do trickle down further it will only be by a couple of bucks. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was only 10 cents cheaper during July's Prime Day offers, and Princess Peach Showtime only ever hit $53 in previous sales events.
Not only that, but Walmart is quick to put its prices back up once stock starts running low. We don't know how competitive this year's October Prime Day will be, but last year saw a lot more action than the year before. We also know that the weekend before Prime Day sees some considerable movement on the shelves as well.
If you need some extra kit for your console, check out the best Nintendo Switch accessories. as well as the best Nintendo Switch controllers and best Nintendo Switch case on the market.
Sign up to the 12DOVE Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Managing Editor of Hardware at 12DOVE, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.