DocksideDo Switch games go on sale? Which great games come and go, and which hold their price
Two in three top-rated Switch games went on sale between Aug. 29 and Oct. 21, 2026, Zelda included. Which great games come and go, and which hold their price.
Yes, including the best ones. Of the roughly 550 Switch games with top review scores, about two in three were discounted at least once between Aug. 29 and Oct. 21, 2026. That includes Nintendo's own games: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom were both 30% off in September. Some of the best-known games, though, were not discounted at all in that time.
Here is what the price history shows, which great games came and went, and which ones held their price.
How often do Switch games go on sale?
"Top-rated" here means the games that clear Dockside's default bar: a Metacritic score of 88 or higher for the Switch version, or an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam. Each game is counted once; add-ons, bundles and separate Switch 2 Editions are left out.
- About two in three of them were on sale at some point between Aug. 29 and Oct. 21, 2026.
- About one in four (143 games) was on sale on Oct. 21 itself.
- The discounts are often deep. More than half of the games that went on sale were offered at half price or less at some point in those eight weeks.
So if a top-rated game you want is at full price today, waiting is usually a reasonable bet. It is not a guarantee: the next section shows the games that did not move.
Do Nintendo's own games go on sale?
Yes, in Nintendo's own sales. Nintendo's Customer Appreciation Sale ran from Sept. 12 to Sept. 26, 2026, with 30% off dozens of Switch games. Of the 17 Nintendo-published games that clear the bar, 13 were in it, every one at exactly 30% off:
| Game | Regular price | In the sale |
|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | $69.99 | $48.99 |
| Super Mario Odyssey | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Super Mario Bros. Wonder | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Super Mario Maker 2 | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Metroid Dread | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Metroid Prime Remastered | $39.99 | $27.99 |
| Xenoblade Chronicles 3 | $59.99 | $41.99 |
| Fire Emblem: Three Houses | $59.99 | $41.99 |
Three things stand out:
- Nintendo's discounts are shallower. All 13 were 30% off. Other publishers' top games often went to half price or less.
- None of them was on sale on Oct. 21. Each went on sale once in those eight weeks, during Nintendo's own sale, and was back at full price by Oct. 21.
- Four were not discounted at all: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bayonetta 2, Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokémon Pokopia. Nor were the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Does Zelda ever go on sale?
Yes. Breath of the Wild was $41.99 and Tears of the Kingdom $48.99 during the Customer Appreciation Sale. If you play on a Switch 2, note that the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of both games were not discounted. How Nintendo eShop sales work covers when Nintendo's big sales usually run.
Top-rated games that went on sale, then back to full price
These top-rated games were discounted between Aug. 29 and Oct. 21 and were back at their regular price on Oct. 21. Any of them could be worth a wishlist spot at the price shown.
Hades II: $20.99 in late September (regular $29.99)
- Scores 98 on Metacritic (Switch version) · "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 114,000 reviews, PC version)
- Length about 32 hours (main story)
- Released 2025 · action roguelike
The sequel was 30% off. The original Hades, by contrast, is in the next section: it was not discounted at all in those eight weeks.
Celeste: $4.99 in mid-September (regular $19.99)
- Scores 92 on Metacritic (Switch version) · "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 131,000 reviews, PC version)
- Length about 8 hours (main story)
- Released 2018 · precision platformer
75% off. A short, demanding platformer built from single-screen challenges, with an assist mode for players who want the story without the difficulty.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps: $7.49 in late August (regular $29.99)
- Scores 93 on Metacritic (Switch version) · "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 136,000 reviews, PC version)
- Length about 12 hours (main story)
- Released 2020 · action platformer
75% off. A side-scrolling exploration game: one large map that opens up as you gain new movement abilities.
Divinity: Original Sin 2 – Definitive Edition: $24.99 at the end of September (regular $49.99)
- Scores 93 on Metacritic (Switch version) · "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 180,000 reviews, PC version)
- Released 2019 · turn-based role-playing game
Half price. A long, party-based role-playing game with turn-based combat.
Terraria: $14.99 in early September (regular $29.99)
- Scores "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 1.2 million reviews, PC version)
- Length about 52 hours (main story)
- Released 2019 on Switch · 2D sandbox, crafting
Half price. Dig, build and fight across a 2D world, alone or with friends. It is on the list for its Steam rating; its Switch Metacritic score is below 88.
INSIDE: $2.49 at the end of August (regular $24.99)
- Scores 91 on Metacritic (Switch version) · "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam (about 70,000 reviews, PC version)
- Length about 4 hours (main story)
- Released 2018 · puzzle platformer
90% off. A short, wordless puzzle game that fits into one or two evenings.
Monster Hunter Rise: $4.99 in late September (regular $39.99)
- Scores 88 on Metacritic (Switch version)
- Length about 23 hours (main story)
- Released 2021 · action role-playing game
Down from $39.99 to $4.99. Hunt large monsters and craft gear from them, in short missions that work in handheld play, alone or with others.
Which top Switch games held their price?
Some of the best-known games on the Switch were not discounted at any point between Aug. 29 and Oct. 21, 2026. Several are already inexpensive:
- Stardew Valley, $14.99: "Overwhelmingly Positive" on Steam, with about 891,000 reviews.
- Hollow Knight, $15.00: 90 on Metacritic (Switch version).
- Hollow Knight: Silksong, $19.99: 94 on Metacritic (Switch version).
- Hades, $24.99: 93 on Metacritic (Switch version).
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, $59.99: 93 on Metacritic (Switch version).
Eight weeks is a short window, so this does not mean these games never go on sale. It does suggest that a discount on one of them may be slower to come than for the games above.
How to catch the next one
- Decide your price first. For each game you want, write down what you would pay. Is that eShop discount any good? covers how to choose that number.
- Watch the big sales. In 2025, three of Nintendo's named sales fell between late October and early January: one for Halloween, one for Black Friday and one over the holidays.
- Check what is on sale this week. This week's picks list the top-rated games on sale now, with prices and end dates.
Prices in this article are US eShop prices in US dollars, as of Oct. 21,
- Metacritic scores are the Switch version's own; Steam ratings are for
the PC version. Lengths are main-story times, rounded.
By default, Dockside lists only the discounted Switch games that clear this bar, with each game's play time and price history. Put a game on your wishlist with the price you would pay, and Dockside sends a notification when the eShop price gets there. Get Dockside free on the App Store.