Nintendo's Switch console has reached a huge milestone, selling more than 150 million units. However, the sales are still below expectations.
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| Nintendo Switch Achieves 150 Million Sales, Yet Sales Are Slipping |
It's clear that the Switch has been a massive hit in the gaming world. But lately, sales numbers have been slipping a bit, which has some people wondering about what's next for the Switch. With the console slowing down, the talk is shifting to its successor and what it might bring.
Let’s take a look at why sales are down and what this could mean for Nintendo going forward.
Sales Performance of Nintendo’s Switch Console in 2025
As of February 2025, the Nintendo Switch has sold around 150.86 million units globally, which is a pretty big deal in the gaming world. But even though it's a lot, it’s actually lower than what Nintendo originally expected, and it’s even less than what they sold around the same time last year.
Comparison with Sales Forecasts and Last Year's Performance
Nintendo was hoping to sell 12.5 million Switch consoles for the year ending in March 2025, but they had to change their goal.
Now, they’re aiming for 11 million, which is a 12% drop. The company said that sales were down 30.6% from April to December 2024. They only sold 9.54 million units during that time, compared to 13.74 million the year before, which is why they made the change.
Competition of Nintendo’s Switch Console with PlayStation 2
In November 2024, Sony had officially announced that the PlayStation 2 (PS2) has sold over 160 million units worldwide, making it the top-selling gaming console ever.
The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, has sold about 150.86 million units, which puts it in third place—just behind the Nintendo DS, which sold 154.02 million units.
To catch up with the PS2, the Switch would need to sell another 9.14 million units. But here’s the thing: sales for the Switch have been slowing down, probably because people are getting excited about the upcoming Switch 2.
So, it’s looking less likely that the Switch will ever hit the PS2’s numbers.
Nintendo’s Profitability Concerns
Even though Nintendo has expanded into stores, theme parks, and movies, it still depends a lot on selling consoles. President Shuntaro Furukawa admitted that, while sales were steady in the eighth year, they didn’t meet expectations.
From April to December, Nintendo sold 9.54 million Switch units, bringing the total to 150.86 million. As a result, the company also lowered its operating profit forecast for the year by 22.2%, down to 280 billion yen ($1.8 billion).
For the first half of the year, profits dropped by 46.7% to 247.6 billion yen.
Now Nintendo has revealed that the new Switch 2 will work with all the old Switch games and still let you use Nintendo Switch Online. This is a smart move because it means people can keep playing their favorite games without having to start all over again.
For people in the U.S. who already love the Switch, this keeps them excited about the new console. Plus, it helps Nintendo deal with stuff like higher prices or problems getting enough units ready for launch.