Nintendo's Switch 2 console saw a significant slowdown in holiday sales compared to its predecessor, with the company now facing a major challenge to maintain momentum.
According to recent data from The Game Business, US sales of the Switch 2 dropped by nearly 35% during November and December compared to the original Switch in the same period in 2017. In contrast, UK sales declined by around 16%, while French sales plummeted by approximately 30%. However, Japan saw a relatively modest decrease of just 5.5%.
The data suggests that the initial hype surrounding the Switch 2 has waned, with Nintendo's holiday releases such as Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 failing to create the same level of excitement as early system sellers like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.
To regain footing in the market, Nintendo will likely need a string of successful exclusive titles to tempt consumers. The company's planned 2026 schedule currently lacks several big-name exclusives, with only standard sequels for second-tier franchises like Yoshi and Fire Emblem alongside re-releases of popular Switch games on offer.
However, FromSoft's upcoming release of Duskbloods as a Switch 2 exclusive could potentially spark interest among fans of the company's Souls-like games. If Nintendo can secure more system-selling blockbusters in the coming months, it may be able to stem the decline in sales and restore confidence in its latest console.
The slowdown in sales is a worrying sign for Nintendo, which will need to act quickly to revitalize the Switch 2's market momentum.
According to recent data from The Game Business, US sales of the Switch 2 dropped by nearly 35% during November and December compared to the original Switch in the same period in 2017. In contrast, UK sales declined by around 16%, while French sales plummeted by approximately 30%. However, Japan saw a relatively modest decrease of just 5.5%.
The data suggests that the initial hype surrounding the Switch 2 has waned, with Nintendo's holiday releases such as Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 failing to create the same level of excitement as early system sellers like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.
To regain footing in the market, Nintendo will likely need a string of successful exclusive titles to tempt consumers. The company's planned 2026 schedule currently lacks several big-name exclusives, with only standard sequels for second-tier franchises like Yoshi and Fire Emblem alongside re-releases of popular Switch games on offer.
However, FromSoft's upcoming release of Duskbloods as a Switch 2 exclusive could potentially spark interest among fans of the company's Souls-like games. If Nintendo can secure more system-selling blockbusters in the coming months, it may be able to stem the decline in sales and restore confidence in its latest console.
The slowdown in sales is a worrying sign for Nintendo, which will need to act quickly to revitalize the Switch 2's market momentum.
. nintendo needs some big-name exclusives or something to get people hyped again. these sequels and re-releases aren't doing much for me... i mean, who gets excited about another fire emblem game? 
where's the innovation? where's the wow factor? fromsoft's duskbloods might be a bright spot but it's not enough to save the whole console just yet... gotta see what nintendo comes up with next 
what if they just came out with a new controller or something instead of trying to recapture lightning in a bottle?
gotta feel sorry for nintendo 
they really put all their eggs in one basket with the switch 2 and now it's looking like that didn't quite pay off as planned 
i mean, what happened to pokemon legends z-a being a game-changer? 
gotta hope fromsoft's duskbloods can be the savior 
but honestly, they need something BIG to come out soon or this console is gonna struggle 
why did they expect it to sell more or less than last year? didn't they think people would get bored with gaming after a while? 
. If they can secure some big-name exclusives that are actually going to blow people's minds (like Duskbloods is supposed to be), then maybe we'll see some sales pick up again. Fingers crossed for Nintendo! 
I'm like really disappointed in the sales of the Switch 2 
but it seems like those didn't quite live up to expectations 
) and release some more system-selling blockbusters ASAP 
Not just sequels of stuff we already know and love, but new IP's that r gonna blow our minds 
Duskbloods is a good start though 
FromSoft's game r always super popular so maybe that'll help bring in some new fans 
to see the Switch 2's sales taking a hit this holiday season. I mean, it's been out for ages now and people are already upgrading to new models or buying other gaming consoles 
. They need to get some big-name exclusives out ASAP or risk losing gamers to the competition 
.
but now it's like sales are kinda tanking... that's a major problem for Nintendo 
... I'm talking like, games that'll make you go wild! 
. But if they can't deliver some game-changing titles soon, it might be tough for them to regain momentum