Whenever a new console drops, the price is the first thing on most gamers minds. The Nintendo Switch release date has been made official today and Nintendo has also let us in on the price. If that was a concern for you, we think you’ll be quite pleased.

Remember the Xbox One S and the Ps4 Pro? They haven’t been out for long, and amid the dust up over those incremental upgrades, we learned about the Nintendo Switch. From a mobile gaming standpoint, the device was interesting considering it offers up a measure of portability that other consoles can’t match. Well, the Nintendo Switch release date is rapidly approaching as the company has said to expect it on March 3 worldwide.

The Nintendo Switch price has been announced at $299 which may make some gamers pause. That’s higher that what you can pick up the One S or PlayStation 4 for, and both of those are what we would consider “hardcore” consoles with a vast gaming library. So why are we pleased with the Nintendo Switch price? That’s due to how it works as you’re essentially getting a console and a mobile gaming device all-in-one.

While NVIDIA and others have attempted to make portable consoles of sorts, none can do what the Nintendo Switch promises. They also don’t have the same arsenal of games, which let’s face it, is half the draw of buying a Nintendo console. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and other games will be tailored to the device, and we expect plenty of digital ports as well. It remains to be seen if we will get classics ala the NES Classic, but the door is certainly open now.

While the Nintendo Switch specs show it’s a bit underpowered and the tablet isn’t the best, it is a unique approach by a company that is in dire need of a winning console. The Wii U did not perform as expected, so the company’s console hopes currently reside with the Switch.

Are you interested in what the Nintendo Switch has to offer or do you feel it’s too niche for your tastes?