The Nintendo Switch 2 is selling well: The Japanese gaming company had the biggest console launch of all time with the successor to the Nintendo Switch There are some good games, but hardly any real system sellers. The Nintendo Switch 2's greatest years are likely still ahead.
With the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, the gaming giant proved that it can not only sell consoles in large numbers, but also repeat its successes. Before the release of the hybrid console, it was unclear whether Nintendo would be able to match the records set by the Nintendo Switch. Now it's clear: it can do even better. Nintendo easily surpassed the PlayStation 5's record: In the first four weeks after launch, around 3,4 million units of Sony's console were sold – Nintendo achieved this number in just under four days. By July 24, almost six million units had been shipped – and to end customers, not just retailers.
Not surprisingly, Mario Kart World was the best-seller with 5,63 million units sold, thanks in no small part to the bundled console and game. 97 percent of all Switch 2 buyers purchased the racing game. Nintendo acted quite cleverly with its rather sparse lineup of games.
And yet, Nintendo built the Switch 2 primarily on hope, as there wasn't a real system seller at first. "Donkey Kong Bananza" is a good to very good game, but it doesn't have the traction that would catapult Nintendo's sales to skyrocket.
And so the company is currently selling plenty of consoles, as fans speculate that major AAA titles like Mario Odyssey 2 or Animal Crossing, as well as a sequel to the Zelda series, are still to come. There is no information on this, but it is clear that time is on the fans' side: the further away they get from the launch, the closer the hoped-for releases get. In principle, Mario Kart also has the potential to sell well. Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold almost 70 million copies, but this was followed by games for which no details have yet been made public: Animal Crossing: New Horizons approached the 50 million mark in the spring, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom together achieved around 54 million sales, and Mario Odyssey sold almost 30 million copies.
The fact that fans are still willing to buy the game is also due to the revised hardware. Nintendo Switch 2 ultimately proves to be more powerful than expected, capable of running games like Cyberpunk 2077, No Man's Sky, or the upcoming Resident Evil: Requiem – not only smoothly but also visually appealingly. Thanks to Nintendo's clever approach of offering remastered versions of the predecessor console's titles, the successor's value for first-time owners even increases: Odyssey or the Zelda games can be enjoyed in a new light, meaning fans who may have neglected these games in the previous cycle can benefit from the console.
The supposed weakness of a meager lineup isn't really a weakness: Instead of releasing hotly anticipated titles on an assembly line, Nintendo is focusing on slowing down and releasing first-party games in small batches. Furthermore, fans aren't unnecessarily fueling their hopes for the imminent release of anticipated titles – which could ultimately lead to fans picking up the games already available and playing them at their leisure. The strategy seems clear: Nintendo wants to reach the broadest possible fan base, one that doesn't just rely on the popular and well-known brands.
The company is taking advantage of the first Christmas sales without overinflating its game lineup. Given the current software on the market, it seems clear that the Nintendo Switch 2's brightest days are still ahead: As soon as Nintendo announces games like Mario Odyssey 2, Animal Crossing, or a new entry in the Zelda series, demand is likely to skyrocket. Further records will then be easily achieved.
New games: The latest Nintendo Direct
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I found the article insightful! It's cool to see how Nintendo is leveraging fan hope and hardware improvements, but I wish they'd reveal more big titles like Mario Odyssey 2 soon. The strategy makes sense, but patience is wearing thin.