Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition: Price, Upgrade Pack and Free Demo

Nintendo has set Pikmin 4 – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy for 12 November 2026, and a free demo arrives first on 2 November. The news came in a surprise Pikmin Day Direct hosted by Shigeru Miyamoto, in which Nintendo also declared 1 November an annual "Pikmin Day". If you own a Switch 2, here is what you get, what it costs and whether you should upgrade.

Quick summary

• Release date: Thursday, 12 November 2026, Nintendo Switch 2 only.
• Free demo: 2 November on Switch 2. It covers the opening area plus two Dandori Academy stages, and save data carries over to the full game.
• US price (per eShop listings reported by NextPlayIntel): $69.99 for the full edition, $9.99 for the upgrade pack.
• New features: nine voice commands for Oatchi, Dandori Academy mode, GameShare Dandori Battles and resolution up to 4K in TV mode.
• Download size: Nintendo's UK page lists 11.3 GB, while its Australian page estimates 12.7 GB.

When does the Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition come out?

Nintendo's own store pages list 12 November 2026 as the release date for both the full game and the upgrade pack. The free demo is dated 2 November, according to coverage of the Direct from GoNintendo and Nintendo Life. Nintendo has not published a global unlock time in the pages we checked, so expect the usual midnight local rollout on the eShop; confirm on your console. India has no official Nintendo eShop storefront price on the pages reviewed, so Indian buyers will typically import a card or buy through a regional account. Check current prices before paying.

How much is the upgrade pack and who needs it?

Nintendo says that if you already own Pikmin 4 on Switch, you can buy an upgrade pack to unlock the Switch 2 Edition features. NextPlayIntel's table of the US eShop lists the pack at $9.99 and the complete edition at $69.99, against $59.99 for the original Switch game. Spanish and Japanese outlets report the same structure, at 9,99 € and 1,000 yen for the pack. New players pay for the full edition, and anyone who already owns the Switch version just buys the pack.

The Switch version keeps working on Switch 2 as it always did. You only pay for the new content and features.

What is Dandori Academy?

Dandori Academy is the new mode. Each stage is a timed challenge where you collect all the treasure as fast as you can, planning the order and the Pikmin split. Per Nintendo, exams open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You can practise a stage as much as you like but only get one exam attempt per week. Medals from the exams unlock rewards such as user icons. Nintendo plans 72 stages, released over time at six per month, with easier ones for beginners.

What else is new on Switch 2?

• Voice commands: nine commands for Oatchi through the console's built-in microphone, such as gathering the Pikmin and carrying treasure.
• Sharper visuals: up to 4K in TV mode and a clearer picture in handheld mode.
• GameShare Dandori Battles: a two-player duel over local wireless or online via GameChat.
• Pikmin Bloom rewards: playing the demo or the full game, with certain requirements met, earns a Cave Map, postcards and an Oatchi-Rider costume in Pikmin Bloom.

Should you upgrade or wait?

If you own the Switch game and a Switch 2, a $9.99 upgrade is hard to argue with: you get the weekly exams, voice commands and better visuals for the cost of a snack. Not sure? Try the free demo on 2 November, since the progress transfers. If you have never played Pikmin 4, the full edition at $69.99 is the straightforward route. Remember that Nintendo says the game only runs in Switch 2 Edition mode on a Switch 2.

Looking for what else lands this month? See our November 2026 games list, the launch calendar and the deals page for free games and discounts.

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