Nintendo Switch 2—Holiday Sales Dip Amidst Competitive Launch Cycle
The Nintendo Switch 2, the highly anticipated successor to the original Nintendo Switch, has encountered its first major test in the global market, with holiday sales data revealing a noticeable downturn compared to its predecessor’s debut season.
Despite the console’s record-breaking start—as the fastest-selling gaming system to date—recent figures highlight the challenges Nintendo faces in maintaining momentum. Reduced Holiday Sales Across Key Markets Industry analysis provided by The Game Business confirms that Nintendo Switch 2 sales in the United States fell by 35% during the peak holiday period compared to the original Nintendo Switch’s comparable performance in 2017.
The United Kingdom also recorded a dip but fared slightly better, with sales down by 16% for the same timeframe. However, annual figures paint a more positive picture.
UK sales of the Switch 2 for the 2025 calendar year were up by 6% compared to the original Switch’s launch year, despite the latter’s 14-week head start in the market.
This suggests wider early adoption among consumers, even as holiday sales lagged behind historical trends. In France—one of Nintendo’s strongest European territories—the trend followed other major markets, with Christmas season sales dropping by "over 30%" when contrasted with the original Switch.
This performance means the UK outpaced France in Switch 2 console sales during the festive period. Japanese Market Shows Modest Decline, Strong Annual Growth In Japan, traditionally a flagship region for Nintendo, the Switch 2 moved 1.32 million units over the final nine weeks of 2025, slightly trailing the 1.39 million units sold by the original Switch in 2017, amounting to a 5.5% decrease.
Despite this, total Switch 2 sales across Japan for the year were up by an impressive 11% versus its predecessor’s launch year tally. Nintendo Cites Challenging Economic Conditions and Game Library A senior Nintendo representative, speaking with The Game Business, attributed the muted holiday performance to "a complicated economic landscape," noting that steeper launch prices and the lack of a major Western-centric release weighed on seasonal demand.
The executive emphasized that while the Switch 2's launch window was record-breaking, the absence of a blockbuster title during the critical holiday period impacted sales across multiple regions. Outlook and Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Line-up Looking ahead to 2026, Nintendo faces the task of bolstering the Switch 2’s game library with more must-play releases.
To date, titles like "Mario Tennis Fever" and "Yoshi and the Mysterious Book" have anchored the software line-up, but the company’s future success could hinge on larger franchises making the leap to the new hardware. Despite holiday sales setbacks, overall annual numbers for the Nintendo Switch 2 remain robust, solidifying its position as one of the fastest-growing consoles in Nintendo’s storied history.
Despite the console’s record-breaking start—as the fastest-selling gaming system to date—recent figures highlight the challenges Nintendo faces in maintaining momentum. Reduced Holiday Sales Across Key Markets Industry analysis provided by The Game Business confirms that Nintendo Switch 2 sales in the United States fell by 35% during the peak holiday period compared to the original Nintendo Switch’s comparable performance in 2017.
The United Kingdom also recorded a dip but fared slightly better, with sales down by 16% for the same timeframe. However, annual figures paint a more positive picture.
UK sales of the Switch 2 for the 2025 calendar year were up by 6% compared to the original Switch’s launch year, despite the latter’s 14-week head start in the market.
This suggests wider early adoption among consumers, even as holiday sales lagged behind historical trends. In France—one of Nintendo’s strongest European territories—the trend followed other major markets, with Christmas season sales dropping by "over 30%" when contrasted with the original Switch.
This performance means the UK outpaced France in Switch 2 console sales during the festive period. Japanese Market Shows Modest Decline, Strong Annual Growth In Japan, traditionally a flagship region for Nintendo, the Switch 2 moved 1.32 million units over the final nine weeks of 2025, slightly trailing the 1.39 million units sold by the original Switch in 2017, amounting to a 5.5% decrease.
Despite this, total Switch 2 sales across Japan for the year were up by an impressive 11% versus its predecessor’s launch year tally. Nintendo Cites Challenging Economic Conditions and Game Library A senior Nintendo representative, speaking with The Game Business, attributed the muted holiday performance to "a complicated economic landscape," noting that steeper launch prices and the lack of a major Western-centric release weighed on seasonal demand.
The executive emphasized that while the Switch 2's launch window was record-breaking, the absence of a blockbuster title during the critical holiday period impacted sales across multiple regions. Outlook and Upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 Line-up Looking ahead to 2026, Nintendo faces the task of bolstering the Switch 2’s game library with more must-play releases.
To date, titles like "Mario Tennis Fever" and "Yoshi and the Mysterious Book" have anchored the software line-up, but the company’s future success could hinge on larger franchises making the leap to the new hardware. Despite holiday sales setbacks, overall annual numbers for the Nintendo Switch 2 remain robust, solidifying its position as one of the fastest-growing consoles in Nintendo’s storied history.
