The Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition demo hits the Nintendo eShop on November 2, ten days ahead of the full release on November 12, and it costs nothing. Nintendo announced it in the Pikmin Day Direct on October 31. Nintendo hasn’t posted an unlock time, only the date.
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo
Release date: November 12, 2026 (demo November 2)
Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
Price: $69.99, or $9.99 to upgrade Pikmin 4
The demo covers two things: the opening area, Sun-speckled Terrace, and two Dandori Academy stages. Your demo save carries over to the full game, so nothing you do on November 2 is wasted.
72 Stages, Released Over Time
Dandori Academy is the new part of the package, and it leans on the planning half of Pikmin. Nintendo lists 72 stages, rolled out over time instead of all at once. Every stage has three difficulty levels.
Exams open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and each one is a single attempt. One shot at a clean run, then you wait for the next exam. Medals track how you did, and online leaderboards show how your run stacks up against everyone else’s.
Dandori Battles now work with GameShare, so a friend who doesn’t own the game can join you locally or online through GameChat. Online play and GameChat need a Nintendo Switch Online membership.
Sharper Visuals and Voice Commands for Oatchi
The base game gets higher-resolution visuals on the TV and in handheld mode. The Switch 2 microphone lets you give voice commands to Oatchi. The Switch 2 Edition is a 12.8 GB download, and the Upgrade Pack on its own is 1.2 GB.
$9.99 if You Already Own Pikmin 4
Pikmin 4 owners on Switch pay $9.99 for the Upgrade Pack. It’s the same kind of owner upgrade as Darkest Dungeon II’s Switch 2 pack, with a whole new mode attached.
| Option | Price | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Pikmin 4 Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Dandori Academy | $69.99 | New players on Switch 2 |
| Upgrade Pack | $9.99 | You already own Pikmin 4 |
| Pikmin 4 (Switch) | $59.99 | Base game only |
New players can skip the math. The $69.99 Edition costs one cent more than the $59.99 Switch game plus the $9.99 pack, and it’s one purchase instead of two.
Nintendo appears to be using the demo to sell Dandori Academy more than the base game, which plenty of Pikmin fans finished in 2023. Play the two stages on November 2, keep the save, and decide by November 12 whether weekend exams are your kind of fun.