Data points to slow Nintendo Switch 2 sales during holiday period

According to data from The Game Business, Nintendo Switch 2 sales in the US and Europe during the last few weeks of 2025 were down compared to Switch 1.

Looking at the US, for the holiday period, we’re hearing that the new console saw sales that were 35 percent lower than the original Nintendo Switch. Circana previously reported that overall gaming sales had their worst November since 1995.

Over in the UK, Nintendo Switch 2 sales for the last eight weeks of the year were 16 percent lower compared to Switch 1 for the same period. There’s also disappointing news from France – Nintendo Switch 2 sales were ‘over 30 percent’ lower than what Switch 1 managed. 

It’s not all bad news though. If you also factor in Switch 1 sales, Nintendo did sell more hardware in the UK during November and December 2025 compared with the same period in 2017 – specifically 7 percent more. For the year, Nintendo Switch 2 UK sales are 6 percent higher than what Switch 1 managed in its first year (which was also on sale for 14 extra weeks).

What ended up happening here? The Game Business relays some insight from a senior Nintendo employee who pointed to a “complicated economic landscape”, higher price points, and “the absence of a major western game” during Christmas.

Japan is one country where Nintendo Switch 2 performed strongly. Compared to Nintendo Switch 1, Switch 2 sales were up 11 percent when looking at launch years. But it’s also worth noting that for the last nine weeks of 2025, 1.32 million Nintendo Switch 2 consoles were sold in Japan compared to 1.39 million for Switch 1.

Catch up on more Nintendo Switch 2 news here.