The case for preordering a physical copy of Splatoon Raiders is straightforward and time-limited: Walmart is selling the cartridge at $49.94, matching what Nintendo charges for the digital version. What complicates it is that Amazon, the other retailer that previously honored that price, has reverted to the full $59.99. The window is open. It closes at launch on July 23rd.
Nintendo's pricing architecture on Switch 2
Nintendo announced in March that digital versions of certain Switch 2 games would sell for $10 less than their physical counterparts. Splatoon Raiders is one of them: the digital edition is $49.99, while the cartridge's standard retail price is $59.99. The ten-dollar spread is now a fixed feature of how Nintendo prices Switch 2 releases in this category, making the format decision a financial one for buyers who care about it.
The history of Switch 2 preorder pricing adds a wrinkle. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Star Fox both ran extended preorder phases where physical and digital editions sold at identical prices. That history suggests retailers can and sometimes do close the gap, which is what Walmart is doing now and what Amazon was doing before it stopped.
Where the discount holds
Walmart lists the physical preorder at $49.94. Amazon previously matched that price but has since reverted to $59.99. Amazon's preorder policy commits to charging buyers the lowest price offered between the preorder date and launch day. Someone who preorders at Amazon's current full price would pay less automatically if the discount returns before July 23rd. The counterargument to waiting on Amazon is that it might not.
The case for opting out entirely
The strongest argument against engaging with the preorder timing is that format preference is the only variable in play. Splatoon Raiders is a Switch 2 exclusive built around a single-player focus, with a competitive multiplayer mode and a co-op component supporting up to four players locally or online. A buyer indifferent to owning a cartridge can purchase the digital version at $49.99 with no deadline attached.
On balance, Walmart's $49.94 is the one active path to a physical copy at digital pricing. That path closes July 23rd.