Switch 2 sales dropped 37% this summer, mostly before the price hike hit; Nintendo now expects sales to slump 16.9% in console’s second year
Nintendo Switch 2 sales have declined significantly during summer 2026, dropping 37% compared to the same period last year, accounting for nearly four million fewer units sold. The handheld console has reached 26.35 million cumulative sales through the end of September 2026, marking a concerning slowdown despite strong first-year performance.
The timing of the decline is notable because the majority of the sales drop occurred before Nintendo implemented a global price increase at the start of September. This suggests the weakness in demand stems from factors beyond the pricing adjustment, which could further impact sales during the critical holiday shopping season.
While Switch 2 remains comfortably ahead of the original Nintendo Switch’s first-year sales figures, Nintendo’s outlook has become more cautious. The company now projects a 16.9% decline in console sales during its second year, a significant concern for the platform’s long-term trajectory. This forecast suggests that Switch 2 may fail to maintain its first-year sales advantage over the original console by the end of its second year, marking a potential shift in the console’s commercial momentum.