Nintendo: Switch 2 sales strong but lacks a breakout hit

Nintendo reported strong early sales for the Switch 2, selling 7 million consoles during the 2025 holiday period and 17 million in its first six months. The original Switch sold an additional 1.36 million units and is expected to sell another 750,000 by the end of the current fiscal year.

The original Switch has surpassed the DS’s lifetime total of 154 million to become Nintendo’s most popular console, though it remains short of the PlayStation 2’s 160 million. Digital sales on the Switch 2 were notably high, with Nintendo reporting a 14.7 percent year‑over‑year increase and a rise in the share of packaged software sold as downloadable versions from 56 percent to 58.7 percent.

Nintendo said Switch 2 demand in Japan exceeded expectations while U.S. holiday demand was slower, and the new console outsold the original nearly two to one in the six‑month launch window.

nintendo, switch 2, 7 million consoles, 2025 holiday period, 17 million, first six months, original switch, 1.36 million units, 750,000 by the end, current fiscal year, ds’s lifetime total, 154 million, 14.7 percent, 58.7 percent