Nintendo Switch Sales Hit 143 Million As Hardware And Software Figures Decline

We need a revival of Mario's missing for the highest momentum!

Of course that announcement in general most likely cut into sales too. Nobody wants to buy a new system with a new one on the horizon. Can’t wait for Mario and Luigi to release though.

I doubt the new Zelda game will have the same impact on sales as Tears of the Kingdom, as many will probably see it as a "snack" title, rather than a full fledged one.

Overall it seems this year's been mostly about remasters so far. You can really tell that this is the Switch's winter. It'll be spring time soon for its successor and I can't wait!

Little over 10 million to surpass DS feels doable considering Switch realistically will still be sold for at least another couple years even after the new console drops. Switch still never got a real price cut.

@Pillowpants Not only a new Zelda, also a new Mario & Luigi, a new Mario Party and (finally) Metroid Prime 4 coming to the Switch. Honestly if the last one isn't a successor launch title as well (with an exclusive version for the successor) I see the Switch easily going past the DS next year.

And I think we'll might even see Metroid Prime 2 and 3 "HD" versions late this year or early next year as well. Just to build hype for 4.

Decent Switch sales given it's age but it's definitely time for the Switch successor.

If Nintendo really want that record I think they could do it with a massive price drop in the run up to Christmas, prior to the Launch of the Switch U

Honestly the fact that the Switch has got this far is amazing. A Christmas boost may be the final boost it needs to beat the PlayStation 2.
And please, don't feel upset or angry if that doesn't happen.

p2 160 million console sales it will take a few years for nintendo switch to pass that number..

switch needs a price cut now with these rapidly dropping sales nunbers..

@Member_the_game They're likely unwilling to do that out of fear of harming sales of the successor. So they'll instead try and retain a decent level of demand through bundles, limited edition models and continued software support, as opposed to doing anything that'll really send sales through the roof.

@sanderev Yeah, I'm looking forward to the new Mario & Luigi title, it's been too long! And I sincerely am crossing my fingers for Metroid Prime 2 and 3 to join Switch, so we can have the entire series on one system! The new Mario Party is also high on my wishlist. I've had a blast with Superstars!

But overall it seemed that we were in a period of remasters, with Luigi's Mansion 2, Paper Mario: TTYD and the like. Not that I mind, but I'm glad the good stuff is coming!

@johnedwin I estimate by their end of year financial report in early May 2026 we'll hear that its finally overtaken PS2. But this year's Black Friday and Xmas sales are big factors as theyre the last Switch 1 will have as Nintendos sole console before the successor. If Nintendo achieves it's sales target of 13.5 mill sold between Apr 24 and Mar 25 putting it on 154.82 then it'll definitely outsell PS2 eventually as long as it gets continued software support. If they miss that 24/25 target then that's unlikely.

bet if Nintendo didn't tell people in May that next gen is on the horizon sales would be higher

Drop the price. Job done.

@KBuckley27 At this stage, it's probably more casual users still buying Switches vs. hardcore Nintendo fans. I doubt the announcement of a successor is having too drastic an impact. Switch has just sold phenomenally well and in its seventh year sales were inevitably going to slow.

The new Zelda model might help a little for it to catch up with PS2. A new mainline zpokemon with a new model could also help. Nintendo should have pulled out all the stops to get it to the top milestone.

It's good to see the OLED being the best-selling of the 3 models, showing that presumably more casual users are willing to pay a premium.

@Scoopz

Yeah it's all about striking that right balance.

I guess it all depends on how much they want that all time sales record.

Personally I think they'd be daft not to try after getting so close

@Yousef- Get the gold one!

@Olliemar28 oh they definitely do care about being the best selling console of all time..

Chugging closer yet to the top and maintaining the general momentum of the quieter quarters (which, as the report lampshades, are comparatively less quiet when you drop a long-teased BotW sequel into them).

@Member_the_game assuming they even need to try. By the time PS2 coasted past NDS record, it hardly did so by the sweat of Sony's brow.

@johnedwin If Nintendo really wanted to have that record, they could have achieved it much more easily with the Nintendo DS. Holding on to monuments is much more important..

@johnedwin @johnedwin it will pass ps2, obviously you won't like that but it will happen.

I just find it hilarious that when it began to look like the Switch might surpass ps2 lifetime sales, sony just happened to discover they had actually sold another 5 million units somewhere along the line.
I cant wait for Switch to reach 159 million units sold and sony discovering again that they've found another 5 million sales of ps2's. 😂

@johnedwin If Nintendo cared as much as you do, they would have dropped the price already to meet that sales target. They don't have to, because they still have plenty of cash on hand.

In the longer term, it's more important for Nintendo to maintain their "premium" image, especially going into the next generation. The underlying message being that there's no point in waiting for a price cut.

@Member_the_game Agreed. They might not get another chance. But at the same time another successful generation will always be the priority as breaking a record is more about vanity. Whilst id love Switch to become the best selling console ever id love even more for Nintendo to have two extremely successful console generations in a row instead of their tendency to follow up success with a decline.

@Croctopus Agreed. With 2 million shipped 1st April to 30th June that means theres 11.5 million to be shipped by 31st March 25 if theyre to hit their target.

Itll be tough, but it all depends on reviews for Zelda and Mario and Luigi and when they do their Switch 2 reveal. If they leave the reveal till early Jan then they'll protect Switch 1 Black Friday/Xmas sales. If the reveal comes before Xmas then Switch 1 sales will nosedive.

There is little merit in gauging Switch momentum over the summer (the quietest spot in the year.) Holiday season is where the majority of money is made. I'm sure it will be more evident if the Switch can do it come January (or at least the next meeting there after.) If Nintendo cared about becoming the best selling console of all time, then the September Direct will be amazing! If they are happy as is, then i dare say they are focusing more on the next console. But, let's get the holiday season done first.

I've only contribute 1 sale to the Switch ecosystem as I bought my both first Switch and my current OLED second hand. The sales decline is expected and they are doing better then Jan-March 2024. Sales should start picking up again in the holidays and after the Switch 2 is revealed as people will make their decision to upgrade/not upgrade for whatever reason. Typical Nintendo portable consoles sell 20+ million after the previous console has launched so expecting 180 million sales isn't far fetched.

If it outsells the PS2 for fans it's a bragging point. For nintendo it's probably a small press release to impress shareholders. They clearly care more about profit then bing the best selling console ever.

All these people insisting Nintendo doesn't care about sales records are basically saying that Nintendo doesn't care about image and prestige, which I don't think is the case.

Anywho, you can add at least one more sale to the pile cos I've got a Zelda Lite incoming. And if they happen to release a Metroid Prime edition for MP4, and/or a Pokemon Legends 2 edition, then all bets are off (as will be my retirement).

@Pillowpants yeah I cant see anyone buying a Switch for EoW on its own. Maybe there will be a small number of girls who having Zelda be playable will be a gateway into gaming for them. And the custom Lite will sell out to collectors if not new players I'm sure.

I’ve yet to experience an OLED system and my OG Switch has seen better days… but I’m torn between getting myself a nice new Switch and holding fire to see what’s next! I’ve got a lot of gaming still to do on Nintendo Switch and I would love to see the OLED for myself.

Getting near to 160 mln to beat PS2 ( According to Jim " Lian " ) ... And with Switch Lite XL with oled screen coming soon it`s possible .

@gcunit They do care about image and prestige, just not necessarily about having made the best-selling console of all time.

Facts: 1) No console price cut 2) No Nintendo Selects this generation 3) First-party titles on sale for 33% off at most, and typically 2 years after their original release. See where this is going? They want to position themselves as a premium brand. That's what their image and prestige is based on.

@Scoopz

Spot on mate, can't really disagree with any of that.

As much as the sales record would be nice, the last thing we all want is another Wii U so yes, I'd much rather they focus on making the next console a success

@johnedwin The PS2 took a number of price cuts just to shift units and remain more desirable at key points in its time on market. There’s the emergence of XBox online gaming popularity and the GC coming to market, the Ps2 slim, and even after the PS3 came out when that was struggling under the weight of its own price tag and the slow adoption of HDTVs at the time (and also Blu-Ray players, even though it was the cheapest option at the time), the PS2 and PSP had to support the gaming division for a little longer. The Switch is doing its numbers with no price cuts other than a cheaper model, which is still the lowest selling model as most of the sales are going to the more expensive OLED. Once the Switch 2 comes out and/or the first price cut drops, it’s pretty much a lock for the Switch to take the (revised) top spot.

Can they squeeze another 12 million out to out perform the ps2?

@Pillowpants How can a Switch price drop negatively affect Switch 2 sales?
143 million units, but several people own more than one system, like myself and a lot of people around here. They will buy the upcoming console. regardless of a price drop. After 7 and a half years, the people that hasn't bought the system yet are the ones that were never interested, or the people that cannot afford the system. The people that own a Switch will buy Switch 2 with or without a price drop.
They might not want to drop the price yet just because sales are still good. Even if the expectations weren't met here, these numbers are amazing for a 7 year old system.

I, like many here, am glad that the Switch has lasted this long. Although, I'm starting to feel less interested in my Switch as there isn't a whole lot left that has been announced that I am actually interested in. Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D will probably be my last game I buy for the Switch and will just save up for the Switch 2. Also if there is a choice between buying a game on Switch or buying it on Steam, I almost always choose Steam now

time for a mayor price drop!!

€199,- for the oled with a game for christmas holidays.
or else they will NOT break sony's record.

but anyways, the switch will be still popular 20years from now. the gamelibrary is epic, and afterwards there are certain "communities" who will keep it alive anyways.

"is there enough momentum for Switch to catch DS and PS2 at the top of the hardware sales charts?"
Switch will for sure outsell the DS even it crawls past over the next 2 years.
Bigger question is whether it needs a price drop to achieve that

@Pipulitoch
there is always a mayor price drop from nintendo. but the thing is, they always do this when a new console has arrived, and nobody cares about it. well not nobody, but not enough people to push millions of units, because nintendo does not offer the oled for cheap, they come up with some lame model.

Listen NINTENDO!!
make it happen arround christmas holidays starting at the end if november.
Oled 199,- bundle with a fantastic game(software has long be profitable enough). you earned so much money, make this bundle one to remember.
push marketing for this bundle as well

@Roibeard64 There is no such thing as "best video game console ever" because it depends of what kind of thing you're seeking.

And even Sony cares about profit, don't act as if Nintendo are the only ones.

@johnedwin 155 million. Sony reported those numbers way too late and I don't trust Jim Ryan

Next quarter will be up again after Echoes of Wisdom, but it won't be TotK numbers (even though it should).

@PALversusNTSC Are you sure about that? That wasn't the case for the 3ds, or the Gamecube in 2002 and 2003. The n64 was launched at 199 in 1996, then 149 in 1997 and 129 in 1998 and 99 in 1999.
I don t have the portable numbers, I believe nintendo had significant price cuts for every console but Wii U and Switch (until now at least)

@Pipulitoch What are you on about? I never mentioned any price drop...

@Pillowpants Wrong user, my bad

If there are big discounts for the holidays, it will surely become the best-selling console in history.

@Rob3008 counter argument Nintendo has started they want people who already own a Switch to get multiple Switch units, there are probably millions of people who only have a Lite or base Switch who maybe were thinking or getting the Oled but now with the announcement or the new console not that far away they they now might wait for that

Still better sales than the previous quarter, there was no "killer app" for this quarter, it's understandable game sales are lower now. Those holiday sales will help Switch get closer to the DS and PS2 number. Like someone said above it's not crazy to think the Switch will sell more than 160 million units, they're going to have that number by this time next year.

@Qwiff this is not confirmed. The official report still stands at 155m

@johnedwin Yea, if Nintendo gives Switch a decent price cut, down to $99 and under like console manufacturers all used to do in the good old days a consoles twilight years, it will sell another 20million+ easy, but I can't ever see them willing to do that, big Corporations are no longer consumer friendly when it comes to passing on cost reductions.

But as for Sonys sales numbers - I'd take them with a pinch of salt. Sony only provide 'Shipping/Sell in' numbers not actual sell through, customer sales that Nintendo and MS provide.

Even in terms of PS3/PS5 sales to customers, I would say cut 10-20 million off Sonys claim and you have the real numbers sold figure.

@link12684 Agreed, Sonys sales figures should all be taken with a pinch of salt. Sony only provide 'Shipping/Sell in' numbers not actual sell through, customer sales that Nintendo and MS provide.

Even in terms of PS3/PS4/PS5 sales figures, I would cut a good 10-20 million off Sonys figure and then you'd have the real numbers sold to real people.

@PALversusNTSC
Sadly, not going to happen this holiday
They are selling the Zelda Switch Lite for $210 w/o the game

@Edu23XWiiU
I doubt they will make it during your timeline.
Keep in mind that:
1. Switch successor is being revealed before the end of the fiscal year so sales will nosedive even more than now
2. Nintendo forecasted that by the end of March 2025 sales will reach 154.82 and they are not off to a good start. They also noted it would be extremely difficult to achieve.
With a price cut of $100/model I could see it reach 160 mil in holiday 2025. We will probably not see those numbers until the meeting in February 2026. Even that will be difficult since the successor will be out by then and if it is backwards compatible that will be another obstacle.

@jamesthemagi sales are still good, even with the announcement of the reveal of the new console, they sold more Switch units this last quarter compared to the one before. And, imagine if they do a price cut of the current Switch for this holiday season, which is the time where they sell the most consoles, they'll reach those numbers easily. You're also forgetting the fact that people will still be buying the Switch, even after the new console launches, because it'll be cheaper in comparison, and the library of games is enormous.

@G_and_Thomas if you are going quote me quote what I actually said which was best selling console.

Also what do you mean even Sony cares about profits of course they do its all they care about same with Microsoft. I never mentioned Sony so no idea why you came to the conclusion I was saying only nintendo cares about profits. If its not a charity its what every company cares about.

@Pillowpants
Except it isn't just a game, there's also a Zelda theme console coming too

If Switch Successor isn't backwards compatible, I'll wind up buying a second switch for my wife and a third for my daughter along with copies of Cowabunga Collection and Mario Kart for each.
That way we can each play on TVs in full screen!

how long until Nintendo reveal Switch sucessor? will they wait another fiscal report or shareholders will force Nintendo's to reveal it next console?

I am a gamer and I have 4 kids who game.
We have one switch cuz I can't pay for multiple.
Drop the price on the docked unit to $200 of less and you'll sell 4 more cuz the kids will afford it! AND I'll still buy a Switch 2.

Don't dock the price and we only buy switch 2. Wouldn't they want those other 4 sales?

I got a WiiU day one, and I loved that system. I definitely didn't see Nintendo rising from the ashes after that and Iwata. I know everyone says it, but it would've been great if he got to see the Switch's success.
I'm personally very happy to see Nintendo back on top.

Just bring me the Switch 2 and those amazing big AAA games then Nintendo.

I see a lot of people saying they need to drop the price on the switch… I am all for saving money but really this system is approaching 8 years old, and we have had absolutely excessive inflation worldwide since this released and yet it still sells for the same price it did at launch. Honestly I think that’s great. Just in the USA alone, according to the inflation calculator, this system that’s 299.99 would sell now for 384.50. I think we are doing alright! Also the DS having such a powerful lead over all other Nintendo systems speaks volumes about what gamers really like. Handheld gaming is the way to go. We are a mobile generation. And keeping the switch successor portable is critical. Honestly I wish they would release a modernized dual screen system as well as a “switch 2”.

Wow, 12 mil more needed to surpass DS. I dunno if it'll happen at this point. Perhaps with Metroid Prime 4, an MP4 themed Switch, and some other major surprise trickery... it may be possible. Not to mention all the buy-ups that will inevitably take place nearing the very end of Switch's life and during the launching of the successor.

@Pipulitoch Not everyone is an avid gamer. At this late stage stage the people mostly picking up a Switch are likely casual Nintendo fans who waited for the games catalogue to build up, casual gamers or parents looking to buy presents. None of these are caught up on buying the latest and greatest. So if they invest in a Switch 1 now, then that means Switch 2 wont be a consideration for a while. So Nintendo has to play a balancing act between maintaining decent Switch 1 momentum, whilst ensuring Switch 2s launch is an outright success. They cant do anything thats going to significantly amp Switch 1 sales, without harming Switch 2s launch.

At the very least, 150 million is guaranteed

The Switch is Nintendo’s best console right now and it’s obvious that they don’t want to end it just yet. I’m sure that a new one will come eventually but maybe not as soon as we expect.

The majority of casual gamers don't pay attention to financial reports or earnings calls. Most don't browse gaming websites for news either. However, Nintendo still knows not to jeopardize their Holiday sales by officially unveiling the Switch 2 till at least January or February, with a likely launch of April or May 2025.