According to Wccftech, Nintendo just dropped their quarterly results and revealed the Switch 2 is off to an absolutely explosive start. They’ve sold 10.36 million units as of September 30th – that’s just six months after launch. The original Switch took nearly ten months to hit similar numbers. Software sales hit 20.62 million, with Mario Kart World dominating at 9.57 million copies sold.
Sponsored content — provided for informational and promotional purposes.
This Launch Is Different
Here’s the thing – these numbers are happening despite the US tariff situation that made analysts like DFC Intelligence actually lower their forecasts. Nintendo originally predicted 15 million units for the first year, but now they’re targeting 19 million. That’s a massive upward revision that tells you everything about how strong demand really is.
Think about it – the Switch 2 is basically selling twice as fast as the original did out of the gate. And we’re not talking about some niche product here – the original Switch became one of the best-selling consoles of all time. This kind of momentum suggests Nintendo nailed the transition between generations, which is something even giants like Sony and Microsoft have struggled with.
Software Is Carrying The Hardware
What’s really interesting is that attach rate – nearly two games per console. Mario Kart World alone is on almost every other Switch 2 out there. That’s the kind of killer app that drives hardware sales. Donkey Kong Bananza moving 3.5 million units in just three months is no small feat either.
Basically, people aren’t just buying the console to have it sit on a shelf. They’re actually playing games on it. And that creates this virtuous cycle where strong software sales justify more developer support, which leads to better games, which sells more hardware. Nintendo seems to have learned from the Wii U era where that cycle completely broke down.
What About The Original Switch?
Meanwhile, the original Switch is still moving units – 1.89 million last quarter – but Nintendo trimmed their full-year forecast from 4.5 to 4 million. They’re clearly winding down production as the successor takes over. The crazy part? The Switch family has now sold 154 million units total.
It probably won’t catch the PlayStation 2’s record of 160.6 million, but does that even matter? Nintendo’s executing a nearly perfect generational handoff while their competitors are dealing with messy cross-gen transitions. The Switch 2’s success actually makes the original’s gradual decline look planned rather than problematic.
The Real Test Is Coming
Now the question becomes: can they maintain this pace? Hitting 19 million in year one would be phenomenal, especially with those tariff headwinds. The holiday quarter will be the real test – if they can keep supply meeting demand during the shopping season, we could be looking at one of the most successful console launches ever.
What’s fascinating is watching Nintendo play this so differently from Sony and Microsoft. No messy cross-gen confusion, no trying to be a multimedia powerhouse – just pure gaming focus. And judging by these official numbers, it’s working better than anyone expected.
