Home News "Nintendo Switch 2 Looms as Original Switch Sales Decline"

"Nintendo Switch 2 Looms as Original Switch Sales Decline"

Author : Amelia Update : Apr 27,2025

Nintendo has once again revised its hardware forecast downwards, as the sales of the Nintendo Switch and its games have fallen "below expectations." For the first nine months of the current financial year, Nintendo's dedicated game console business saw a 31.7% decrease year-on-year, totaling 895.5 billion yen (approximately $5.7 billion). This decline is attributed to a significant drop in both Nintendo Switch and software sales. Similarly, income from mobile and IP-related ventures decreased by 33.9% year-on-year to 49.7 billion yen (about $320 million), primarily due to the challenging comparison with the success of 2023's blockbuster, The Super Mario Bros. Movie. As a result, Nintendo's gross profit fell by 27.3% year-on-year to 565.5 billion yen (around $3.6 billion).

Nintendo has now adjusted its financial forecast for the year ending March 2025, marking the second consecutive revision. The company expects to sell fewer Nintendo Switch units than previously anticipated, lowering its forecast by 1.5 million to 11 million units, and software sales by 10 million to 150 million units. Although declines are expected for the Switch, which is now in its eighth year, the drop has been more significant than Nintendo had predicted. Nevertheless, the Nintendo Switch has achieved sales of over 150 million units, marking a remarkable success for Nintendo. While surpassing the PlayStation 2's 160 million units to become the best-selling console of all time seems unlikely at this point, the Nintendo DS's 154 million units are within reach.

Nintendo described the sales of the Switch and its software in the third quarter ending December 31, 2024, as "stable given the fact that the platform is in its eighth year." Overall sales for the Nintendo Switch family of systems were down 30.6% year-on-year at 9.54 million units, and software sales declined by 24.4% year-on-year to 123.98 million units. However, Nintendo highlighted the strong performance of new releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (3.91 million units), Super Mario Party Jamboree (6.17 million units), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (5.38 million units), and Nintendo Switch Sports (2.63 million units) during the quarter. Mario & Luigi: Brothership also sold 1.4 million units.

Super Mario Party Jamboree, in particular, has been a standout success. Nintendo reported that in the first 11 weeks following its release on October 17, 2024, Super Mario Party Jamboree outsold previous titles in the Mario Party series for the Nintendo Switch, such as Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars.

As Nintendo prepares for the launch of the Switch 2 later this year, the company noted an increase in the number of players, with 129 million 'annual playing users' in 2024. This indicates that fans continue to engage with the Switch even as it approaches its eighth year on the market. "Nintendo Switch unit sales declined year-on-year, but even in the eighth year since its launch in March 2017, Nintendo Switch continues to attract the interest of consumers, and sales in some weeks during the holiday season exceeded same-week sales of the previous year," Nintendo stated.

Given Nintendo's latest financial report, investors are eager for the Nintendo Switch 2 to be released sooner rather than later. Nintendo has several major titles lined up for the original Switch, including Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition, set for release on March 20, and Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, both scheduled for 2025.

Nintendo also mentioned the upcoming Switch 2, stating, "On January 16, we announced that Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to Nintendo Switch, will be released in 2025. On the same day, we offered a first look at Nintendo Switch 2 in a video introducing the hardware." Nintendo plans to hold a Switch 2 Direct on April 2 to reveal more details and will organize hands-on events in cities around the world.