Updating earlier reports on the Nintendo Switch 2's weaker 2025 holiday sales in Western markets compared to the original Switch, a senior Nintendo employee highlighted a 'complicated economic landscape,' higher prices, and lack of a major Western title as factors. New details reveal resilience in Japan thanks to a cheaper local version and strong holiday game sales, amid a promising 2026 lineup.
Building on initial coverage of the Switch 2's holiday sales dip—such as 35% declines in the US (worst console month since 1995 per Circana), 16% in the UK (still up 6% full-year and Nintendo's top European market), over 30% in France, and slowdowns across Europe—the console showed relative strength in Japan.
There, 1.32 million units sold in the last nine weeks of 2025, down just 5.5% from the original Switch but with first-year sales up 11%. A Japan-exclusive version priced around $335 dodged international pricing pressures, while Kirby Air Riders sold over 420,000 copies.
A senior Nintendo employee explained the broader declines: 'complicated economic landscape,' higher price points, and 'the absence of a major Western game'—unlike Super Mario Odyssey's boost for the original in 2017. Switch 2 holiday titles included Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (mixed reviews) and the Japan-popular Kirby game.
The employee expressed pride in the console's over 10 million units in four months despite industry headwinds like tariffs and shortages.
The 2026 pipeline offers momentum: Pokémon Pokopia (March 5), Mario Tennis Fever, updates to Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Super Mario Wonder, and The Super Mario Galaxy movie (April).
