Mario Kart or Sports Resort Switch 2 bundle? One won't play in handheld mode
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- Switch Sports Resort doesn't work in handheld mode. Nintendo lists TV and tabletop only. If you're not sure, get the Mario Kart World bundle. It plays anywhere.
- Some Sports Resort sports use two Joy-Con 2 per player. Each bundle has controllers for two, so a family of four may need more than one extra pair.
- The game is a download, not a cartridge. Both bundles include the console, a game download, and 3 months of Nintendo Switch Online.
- The Zelda edition has no game in the box. It's also sold out right now.
In this guide
If you're buying a Switch 2 as a gift this year, you'll run into several bundles. They look alike, and the names don't tell you much.
Here's what's in each one, based on Nintendo's own store pages, and which one fits how your family plays.
Which Switch 2 bundles can you buy right now?
| Bundle | Game | Online membership | Nintendo's store (Oct 24) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart World Bundle | Mario Kart World (download) | 3 months | Available |
| Switch Sports Resort Bundle | Switch Sports Resort (download) | 3 months | Available |
| Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition | Not included | Not included | Sold out |
Nintendo's store also lists the Choose Your Game Bundle as sold out.
Apart from the game, the two bundles have the same hardware. You get the console, a Joy-Con 2 pair in light blue and light red, the dock, a grip, two straps, an HDMI cable, and the charger.
Is the game a cartridge or a download?
A download. Nintendo describes both bundles as including a "full download" of the game. Amazon's listings say the same.
So there's no game card in the box. You'll set up the console, connect to the internet, and download the game to the console's storage.
Mario Kart World or Switch Sports Resort?
Pick by how your family will play.
Mario Kart World works in TV, tabletop, and handheld mode. Up to four people can race on one console. If your kids will also play in the car or on a trip, this is the one.
Switch Sports Resort is motion sports, like tennis and bowling. You swing the controllers, so Nintendo lists TV and tabletop mode only. It doesn't work in handheld mode. Up to four people can play on one console.
If you're not sure, Mario Kart World is the safer pick, because it works wherever the console goes.
How many controllers come in the box?
Two. Each bundle has one Joy-Con 2 pair, a left and a right, and each one works as its own controller.
For three or four players, add another Joy-Con 2 pair. In Switch Sports Resort, Game Informer reports that some sports use two Joy-Con 2 per person. Four controllers would cover only two players in those.
What about the Zelda edition?
It doesn't include a game. Nintendo's listing says "Game not included." It's a green-and-gold Switch 2 with a Zelda-themed dock.
It was sold out on Nintendo's store and unavailable on Amazon when I checked on October 24. If you wanted it for Ocarina of Time, that game is sold separately and comes out November 5. A regular Switch 2 plays it the same way.
Do you need a bundle at all?
Not if you already know you want a different game. Amazon also sells the console by itself.
If your family will play Mario Kart World or Switch Sports Resort anyway, the bundle is the simpler buy. Nintendo says it costs less than buying the console, the game, and the membership separately.
The picks
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle
Plays anywhereGet this if you want one game the whole family can play, on the TV or on the go.
Skip it if you already own Mario Kart World.
- Game
- Mario Kart World (download)
- Online
- 3 months of Nintendo Switch Online
- Controllers
- One Joy-Con 2 pair (2 players)
- Play modes
- TV, tabletop, handheld
- Sold by (Oct 24)
- Amazon.com
It was in stock when I checked. Add a Joy-Con 2 pair if four people will race.
Check price on AmazonNintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle
Motion sportsGet this if your family wants to get up and move, and you'll play mostly on the TV.
Skip it if your kids want to play in handheld mode. This game doesn't support it.
- Game
- Switch Sports Resort (download)
- Online
- 3 months of Nintendo Switch Online
- Controllers
- One Joy-Con 2 pair (2 players)
- Play modes
- TV, tabletop
- Sold by (Oct 24)
- Amazon.com
It was in stock when I checked. Some sports use two Joy-Con 2 per person, so plan on extra controllers.
Check price on AmazonNintendo Joy-Con 2 (L)/(R) Light Blue/Light Red
Add-onGet this if three or four people will play on one console.
Skip it if only one or two people will play.
- Adds
- 2 controllers
- Works with
- Nintendo Switch 2 only
- Sold by (Oct 24)
- Amazon.com
It's the same color pair that comes in both bundles.
Check price on AmazonNintendo Switch 2 System
Console onlyGet this if your family wants to start with a game that isn't in a bundle.
Skip it if you'll buy Mario Kart World or Switch Sports Resort anyway. The bundle covers that.
- Comes with
- One Joy-Con 2 pair (2 players)
- Game
- Not included
- Sold by (Oct 24)
- Amazon.com
It was in stock when I checked.
Check price on AmazonWho can skip this
If you already have a Switch 2, you don't need a bundle. Buy the game you want by itself.
If you're set on the Zelda edition, check back. It doesn't come with a game, so you'd buy Ocarina of Time separately anyway.
Sources
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch 2 + Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Bundle
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch 2 – The Legend of Zelda – 40th Anniversary Edition
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch 2: Choose Your Game Bundle
- Nintendo: Mario Kart World (play modes, players)
- Nintendo: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort (play modes, players)
- Game Informer: Nintendo Switch Sports Resort Brings Wii Sports Games To Switch 2 This October