The original Nintendo Switch proved to be a hugely successful release, performing well across a variety of geolocations, especially in comparison to its predecessor the Nintendo Wii U.
However, even by those standards, the Nintendo Switch 2 is positively thriving, with Mat Piscatella of Circana stating on BlueSky that the console has outpaced the original by 77% in a time-aligned comparison. This is no doubt impressive, but it’s especially noteworthy when you consider that the Switch 2 has only been out for four months, putting Nintendo at the forefront of the hardware industry.
Nintendo Switch Sales
As of June 2025, as per Nintendo, the first Switch console has sold over 150 million units.
This is no small feat. For context, the PlayStation 5 released in 2020, and recently reached its 80 million units milestone back in August. Out of context, that might not mean too much, but those PS5 sales are considered impressive considering the cost of the console, which helps to frame what the Switch 1 has accomplished.
Furthermore, despite it only having been four months instead of eight years, the fact that the Switch 2 is surpassing that original console is a testament to the demand for all things Nintendo.
Reasons for Switch 2 Success
In that same BlueSky thread, Piscatella mentions that the Switch 2 has beaten the previous record-setting pace achieved by the PlayStation 4 (by 5%).
It’s tempting to try and search for a specific reason for all of this success, especially if other consoles are looking to replicate it. However, arguably the biggest reason is the fact that the original Switch itself was so popular – the new version is simply that; a bigger and better version that’s designed to keep pace with modern hardware.
This means modern games can arrive on the platform without hiccups, and older games like Breath of the Wild can receive upgrades which bring them into line with modern titles. Furthermore, while the console is more expensive than the original Switch, it still falls on the cheaper side when compared with the PlayStation 5, while the price of Xbox hardware jumped in the USA last month with no notable upgrades.
Due to the wealth of games that are exclusively made for Nintendo platforms, it creates a more exclusive niche that can’t be permeated by playing on other consoles.
