Switch 2 sales are down by more than a third compared to the console’s explosive launch a year ago, though Nintendo has insisted its new machine’s arrival still compares well with that of Switch 1.
Nintendo sold 3.82 million Switch 2 consoles in the three months ending June 30, the company reported in its latest financial results, which are the first that offer year-on-year Switch 2 sales comparisons. This quarter last year, Switch 2 sold 5.82 million units, following its early June 2025 arrival.
A year-on-year sales drop is perhaps not a surprise, considering the huge pent-up demand for a new Switch after the best part of a decade. Nintendo has also insisted that Switch 2, over its life-to-date, is still comparing “favorably” with equivalent sales of the Switch 1, and remains its fastest-selling console of all time. But it is also fair to say that Switch 2 launched on the back of Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time, giving it a strong headwind. The original Switch, meanwhile, had to slowly gather momentum following the disastrous Wii U.
Switch 2 software sales rose year-on-year — something that again is likely not a surprise considering the many more titles now on offer. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream has shifted an impressive 7.96 million copies in its first three months on sale. Pokémon Pokopia continues to sell well, with another 1.27 million copies sold outside of Japan.
Mario Kart World now sits on 15.39 million copies sold, after a further 690,000 copies were shifted in the last quarter. Donkey Kong Bananza sold a further 280,000 copies, bringing its total to 4.78 million.
Kirby Air Riders is now on 1.9 million, while Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is on 1.15 million. As for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Star Fox, Nintendo offered a rather muted update, that the two have performed steady, though it is still early days. There continues to be no update on how well Metroid Prime 4: Echoes has sold.
Of course, Nintendo Switch 1 titles are also continuing to sell. The evergreen monster that is Mario Kart Deluxe shifted another 450,000 copies (not too far off the latest sales of Mario Kart World!), to bring its latest sales total to a whopping 71.53 million copies. Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate both sold another 380,000 copies each, taking their totals to 50.29 million and 38.14 million respectively.
Interestingly, Nintendo said that its ratio of digital sales to physical rose by 2.2 points to 61.5%. The company has recently begun selling new downloadable Switch 2 games for cheaper than their boxed copies.
Nintendo reported that its total annual playing users had remained unchanged at 130 million, at something of a plateau after steeper increases over the past decade.
Upcoming Switch 2 game launches include Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave on September 17, Switch Sports Resort on October 22, and the new Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake before the end of this year. 2027 titles already announced include Xenoblade Genesis, plus Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves.
Nintendo Switch 2 (Grade A Refurbished)
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Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
