Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Black Friday Bundle Not Quite The Deal It Seems

There’s been quite a hullabaloo made about Nintendo’s upcoming Black Friday Switch bundle. The package comes with a baseline Switch model and a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, all for the sweet price of $299. Seeing how the game still sells for $60 both physically and as a download, that’s a pretty nifty savings… right? Well, hold thine horses, dear readers, as all is not well in the Mushroom Kingdom.

It turns out that this particular Switch model being bundled is the original version of the console, not the new, improved one with a much more robust battery life. Here’s a snippet from the official press release that Nintendo put out which reveals this rather pertinent piece of information:

*Includes original Nintendo Switch model HAC-001. Battery performance ranges from 2.5 to 6.5 hours. For more information, see support.nintendo.com/switch/battery.

As eagle-eyed readers may be aware, HAC-001 is the first model of Switch, which was replaced by the HAC-001 (-01). There’s a notable difference in battery life between the two iterations of the console, with the (-01) version clocking in at 4.5 to 9 hours of play time versus the original’s 2.5 to 6.5 hours.

This writer thinks that the pundits might want to pump the breaks a little, however. The difference in battery life is clear, but it’s not like the (-01) is double or triple the original baseline model’s. For $300, this is still a superb savings for anyone who’s been holding out on buying a Switch. It’s also a stretch to say Nintendo is being disingenuous; the press release is public and anyone concerned about battery life need only look to verify which model they’re buying.

Regardless, keep this in mind when out shopping this holiday season!

Source: Nintendo Press Release