First up: Games!
The Nintendo Switch doesn't come with any games.
There's no equivalent of "Wii Sports" (a pack-in with the Wii) or "NintendoLand" (a pack-in with the Wii U) on the Switch. You buy the console and you have the console, sans games.
The "good" news is that there aren't many games worth buying at the launch of the Switch. The one game everyone will be talking about, "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," is a true delight. It's also $60.
The same price applies to games like "Skylanders Imaginators," though there are a small handful of lower-priced games ("Snipperclips" is $19.99, for instance). But let's be honest: You're going to want "Zelda."
Total cost for one game: $60
Storage: You're going to need at least one microSD card.
The Nintendo Switch comes with a measly 32GB of internal storage, but that's barely enough for a few games.
Thankfully, the Switch has a microSD card reader built-in, and you can use microSD cards to store your games (and game saves). You can even play games right off the microSD cards!
It's a nice bonus, no doubt, but it's unfortunate that you more or less have to buy a microSD card if you're looking at downloading anything more than a few small games. The good news is that microSD cards are relatively inexpensive, even for large ones. You could get by with something in the range of 64GB, though we'd suggest at least 128GB to start.
Total cost for one microSD card: $20 - $100 (or higher, depending)
You're going to want a way to charge the Nintendo Switch's primary controller:
The Nintendo Switch comes with a device called the "Joy-Con Grip," which turns the two handheld Joy-Con controllers into a sort of gamepad. Unfortunately, the Grip cannot charge the Joy-Con.
Out of the box, you can charge the two Joy-Con by sliding them on to the Switch tablet and then sliding the tablet into the Dock. It's a fine solution if you're putting away the console for the night, but it's a pretty terrible solution if you're in the middle of "Breath of the Wild" and your gamepad starts running out of juice.
What if you want to keep playing? The sad news is, out of the box, there's no way to play the Switch on your TV while simultaneously charging the Joy-Con. You could slide the Joy-Con onto the Switch tablet and play the console as a handheld, which will charge the controllers, but what if you want to play it on the TV?
In that case, you have one option: buy something. Nintendo's selling a $30 piece of plastic that enables you to slot in your Joy-Con controllers and charge them while you're playing games on the TV. Keep in mind this isn't a second gamepad, but simply a means of charging the one you already own. Ugh indeed.
Total cost for one Joy-Con charging Grip: $30
A carrying case (and screen protector) for the Switch when it's in portable form:
The Switch is a $300, 6.2-inch tablet. When you've got the Joy-Con connected on each side, it's a long, portable game console with two rubbery analog sticks jutting out from its face.
All of which is to say one thing: This thing isn't meant to sit casually in a bag. It needs protection! It's got a large screen. It's got a ton of nooks and crannies where various detritus can get lodged. It's got two tiny gamepad attachments (the Joy-Con) that could accidentally come off and get loose in your bag.
Alas, there's a solution: Nintendo's carrying case and screen protector, which are, of course, sold separately. You don't need the carrying case, but if you're planning any amount of mobility with the Switch, it's a must-buy.
Total cost for one Nintendo Switch carrying case: $20
You will want an extra gamepad, specifically this one:
Want to play games with other people? You can do this right out of the box, actually, by turning each of the Joy-Con on its side and using those as individual gamepads. It's a less-than-great solution — they're tiny, uncomfortable, and easily dropped.
In this case, you've got two choices: buy another pair of Joy-Con, or buy a Nintendo Switch Pro controller. We'd suggest the latter: It's a far more traditional gamepad, thus offering you a second option when you're playing on the TV as well as solving the multiplayer problem, and it costs $10 less than buying a second pair of Joy-Con.
Total cost for one Nintendo Switch Pro Controller: $70
Total cost for a second pair of Joy-Con: $80
All in, you're looking at a much higher price than the $300 price tag — somewhere in the range of $450 to $500.
Let's say you buy the Switch and one game — that's $360, before tax.
Let's say you buy the Switch, one game, and one Pro controller — that's $430, before tax.
Let's say you buy what we'd consider a totally normal base package of the Switch, one game, the Pro controller, and a $30 microSD card with 128GB or so — that's nearing $500 after tax.
Don't be fooled: the $300 price tag attached to the Nintendo Switch is little more than an introductory price.