Nintendo Switch Sales Drop Sharply Ahead of Switch 2
Nintendo has once again lowered its hardware sales projections, as both Switch console and game sales fell short of expectations.
During the first nine months of the current fiscal year, revenue from Nintendo's dedicated video game console business dropped 31.7% year-over-year to ¥895.5 billion (approximately $5.7 billion). This decline was driven by a significant downturn in sales of Nintendo Switch hardware and software.
Similarly, income from mobile and intellectual property decreased by 33.9% compared to the previous year, totaling ¥49.7 billion (around $320 million), largely due to the challenging comparison with 2023's blockbuster "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."
Consequently, gross profit declined by 27.3% year-on-year to ¥565.5 billion (about $3.6 billion).
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For the second consecutive time, Nintendo has revised its financial forecast downward for the fiscal year ending March 2025. The company now anticipates selling even fewer Nintendo Switch consoles than previously projected, reducing its hardware sales estimate by 1.5 million units to 11 million, and trimming its software sales forecast by 10 million units to 150 million.
While a sales slowdown is expected for the eight-year-old Nintendo Switch, the declines have proven steeper than Nintendo anticipated. Nevertheless, the Switch has surpassed 150 million units sold, marking a phenomenal success for the company. Overtaking Sony’s PlayStation 2—which sold 160 million units—to become the best-selling video game console of all time may now be out of reach, but the Nintendo DS’s record of 154 million units is within sight.
Nintendo described Switch and software sales during its third quarter, ending December 31, 2024, as "stable for a platform in its eighth year."
Overall unit sales for the entire Nintendo Switch family fell 30.6% year-over-year to 9.54 million units. Software sales declined by 24.4% to 123.98 million units. However, Nintendo highlighted strong performances from new releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (3.91 million units sold), Super Mario Party Jamboree (6.17 million), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (5.38 million), and Nintendo Switch Sports (2.63 million) during the three-month period. Mario & Luigi: Brothership reached 1.4 million units sold.
Super Mario Party Jamboree appears to be a major hit. Nintendo reported that during the first 11 weeks following its October 17, 2024 launch, the game outsold previous Mario Party series titles for Nintendo Switch, including Super Mario Party and Mario Party Superstars.
More importantly for Nintendo as it prepares to launch the Switch 2 later this year, the number of active players remains strong. The platform reached 129 million annual playing users in 2024, indicating that fans continue to engage with the Switch nearly eight years after its initial release.
"Nintendo Switch unit sales declined year-on-year, but even eight years after its March 2017 launch, consumer interest remains high," Nintendo stated. "During certain holiday season weeks, sales even exceeded those of the same period in the previous year."
Based on Nintendo’s latest financial report, investors are eager for the Nintendo Switch 2 to launch as soon as possible. However, Nintendo highlighted several upcoming original Switch titles still in the pipeline: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition arrives on March 20, while Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are scheduled for 2025.
Nintendo also briefly mentioned the Switch 2, though without revealing new details. "On January 16, we announced that the Nintendo Switch 2, the successor to the Nintendo Switch, will be released in 2025," the company stated. "On the same day, we provided a first look at the hardware through an introductory video."
Nintendo has scheduled a Switch 2 Direct presentation for April 2, where more information will be shared. The company also plans to host hands-on events for the Switch 2 in various cities worldwide.
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