Switch 2 has been Nintendo’s biggest launch here in the UK, but sits behind the launches of Sony’s PS5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S.
That’s according to data from NielsenIQ shared by The Game Business. Switch 2 has reportedly outsold the original Switch at launch by over two to one in the UK and has also beaten the Nintendo 3DS, which was previously the company’s biggest launch.
While NielsonIQ doesn’t share numbers, for comparison the original Switch sold over 80,000 at launch in the UK, and the 3DS sold 113,000.
It’s an impressive start, then, as the company has predicted globally Switch 2 will sell 15m units from release until the end of the financial year – about on par with the previous console.
However, in the UK at least, Switch 2’s launch sits behind its rivals.
In terms of the biggest UK console launches of all time (excluding handhelds), Switch 2 is the fourth best-selling in terms of units – it’s behind the PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series X/S.
In terms of revenue, the Switch 2 is the third best-selling console in the UK – it’s beaten the PS4, which was sold for a lower price.
We’ll have to wait for official word from Nintendo until we find out the full global numbers for the Switch 2 launch.
At the least, in France the Switch 2 has reportedly sold over 200,000 units in its first weekend to record the best ever console launch in the country (according to French content creator Gyo).
The news comes despite criticism of the console’s high cost, as well as the price of its games and accessories around the world.
As for the previous console, Nintendo stated in its previous financial report it expects to sell a further 4.5m Switch units this year, which would see it overtake the Nintendo DS as the company’s best-selling hardware ever.
Globally, the original Switch sold 4.7m units in its first four months on sale.
