The Nintendo Switch 2 was indisputably a sales hit after its June 2025 launch, but a new report indicates that the hybrid console's success may not match up to the original Switch's first holiday season.
According to The Game Business, Switch 2 sales in the United States were down by around 35% from November to December compared to Switch 1 sales during the same period in its launch year of 2017. This statistic tracks with an earlier report from Circana revealing that November 2025 was the worst month for hardware sales in the US since 1995.
The Switch 2 didn't fare much better in European countries, with UK sales having a reported fall of 16% compared to the Switch 1 in Holiday 2017. In France, Switch 2 unit numbers for its inaugural year are reportedly over 30% lower than what the Switch 1 achieved during its first year.
The difference is less steep in Japan, where the Switch 2 only had a 5.5% decline from Switch 1 holiday numbers in 2017. Overall, the Switch 2 still had a strong first year, with Switch 2 sales being higher than Switch 1's first-year sales in the UK (by 6%) and Japan (by 11%).
An unnamed "senior Nintendo employee" speaking to The Game Business attributed the slight decline to the "complicated economic landscape" and "the absence of a major Western game." During the holiday season, Nintendo itself published Kirby Air Riders, which has proven to be popular in Japan, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which received a mixed response from fans.
Though hardware sales in general are faltering, that isn't to take away from the Switch 2's accomplishments, with over 10 million units sold in its first four months. Upcoming first-party Switch 2 offerings include an upgrade for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the Baby Waluigi-starring Mario Tennis Fever.
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According to The Game Business, Switch 2 sales in the United States were down by around 35% from November to December compared to Switch 1 sales during the same period in its launch year of 2017. This statistic tracks with an earlier report from Circana revealing that November 2025 was the worst month for hardware sales in the US since 1995.
The Switch 2 didn't fare much better in European countries, with UK sales having a reported fall of 16% compared to the Switch 1 in Holiday 2017. In France, Switch 2 unit numbers for its inaugural year are reportedly over 30% lower than what the Switch 1 achieved during its first year.
The difference is less steep in Japan, where the Switch 2 only had a 5.5% decline from Switch 1 holiday numbers in 2017. Overall, the Switch 2 still had a strong first year, with Switch 2 sales being higher than Switch 1's first-year sales in the UK (by 6%) and Japan (by 11%).
An unnamed "senior Nintendo employee" speaking to The Game Business attributed the slight decline to the "complicated economic landscape" and "the absence of a major Western game." During the holiday season, Nintendo itself published Kirby Air Riders, which has proven to be popular in Japan, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which received a mixed response from fans.
Though hardware sales in general are faltering, that isn't to take away from the Switch 2's accomplishments, with over 10 million units sold in its first four months. Upcoming first-party Switch 2 offerings include an upgrade for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the Baby Waluigi-starring Mario Tennis Fever.
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