Switch 2 sales down by 37% this year but it’s outpacing the original

The Switch 2’s October to December sales stand to be much better thanks to Zelda (Nintendo) Despite a drop in Switch 2 sales, Nintendo is otherwise pleased with its financial results for the months of July to September and is confident it will still meet its annual targets. While Nintendo’s handling of the Switch 2 has been peculiar, even by the company’s own standards, it’s definitely been pumping out new exclusives on a far more consistent basis this year than either Sony or Microsoft. It’s had a new release out practically every month and it’s closing the year on a strong note with its excellent remake of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. Yet there’s been a clear decline in sales of the Switch 2, as Nintendo has reported that it has only sold 6.49 million units in its most recent fiscal quarter, covering July to September. That’s a 37.4% drop in sales from the 10.36 million Switch 2s sold in the same period last year. As a reminder, Nintendo announced it would be raising the price of the console to £429.99 at the beginning of September, although that’s a smaller increase than for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox. According to Reuters, the fall has got some investors rattled, especially as Nintendo is still holding back big hitters like Mario and Animal Crossing. The company, though, sounds far more positive. Want GTA 6 news? Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for the latest GTA 6 news, reviews of new games you should play and exclusive analysis of the biggest stories of the week. ‘Although unit sales of Nintendo Switch 2 hardware declined compared to the same period of last fiscal year, many consumers continued to adopt the system, spurred on by factors like the release of new titles,’ said Nintendo. Indeed, Switch 2 software sales are 18.88% higher compared to last year, with highlights including July’s Splatoon Raiders (2.42 million sales) and September’s Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave (1.34 million sales). The latter’s total sales are likely even higher since Nintendo is only accounting for sales up to the end of September and despite the lack of substantial DLC, Mario Kart World has sold a further 1.78 million copies, pushing its lifetime sales to 16.48 million. It’s important to remember that the Switch 2 had an incredibly strong launch in 2025, becoming the fastest selling console ever made, so a dip in the second year is not surprising – especially given the price rise. Even with the drop, the Switch 2 is continuing to outpace the original Switch console, having now sold 26.35 million units in its first 15 months on the market. By comparison, the Switch 1 had sold only 19.67 million units in the same time frame. As such, Nintendo has not altered its forecasts and remains confident it will sell 16.5 million Switch 2 consoles in total during this fiscal year. This means it needs to push another 10.01 million by the end of March 2027, which deems doable with Christmas coming up. Today’s launch of Ocarina Of Time will no doubt help and Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa has said that the company has not seen any changes in the memory shortage situation, so it’s currently not considering any further price hikes. 2027 already promises to be a big year for Nintendo, with Pokémon Winds and Waves as the obvious blockbuster, but Metroid, Kirby, and Xenoblade will also see new entries and it’s rumoured that the next 3D Mario game will finally arrive too. A new Pokémon and new 3D Mario in the same year would be a huge boon for Nintendo (Nintendo) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: PS6 development ‘progressing as scheduled’ as Sony implies no delay Arrow MORE: God Of War Laufey delayed but it’s not as bad as you think Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: Is Zelda: Ocarina Of Time the best game of the year? GameCentral Get the latest GTA 6 news, reviews of new games you should play and exclusive analysis of the biggest stories of the week.