Nintendo Switch 2 sales are down 41%, and the $500 price tag isn't going to help

[midian182]

Bottom line: Nintendo's Switch 2 sales have fallen sharply, and the price hike recently introduced to the console could make recovering harder. The company sold 2.67 million consoles in the three months through September, down 41% year over year and below the previous quarter's 3.82 million

Across the six months ending September 30, Switch 2 sales reached 6.49 million units, a 37.4% decline from 10.36 million a year earlier. That amounts to almost four million fewer consoles, although the comparison includes last year's release, when The Switch 2 became the fastest-selling home console launch in US history.

As with many products, Nintendo's response to rising component costs has made its handheld a more expensive purchase. In May, the company announced a $50 US increase, taking the Switch 2 from $449.99 to $499.99. The new price took effect September 1.

Nintendo cited changes in market conditions, with soaring memory costs a major factor.

The US, Canadian and European increases applied to only the final month of this six-month reporting period, so we still don't know their impact. The holiday quarter will provide a fuller picture.

In August, Switch 2 hardware sales fell more than 30% year over year in the June quarter. But cumulative sales had passed 23 million, comfortably ahead of the original Switch's roughly 17 million over a comparable period.

– Pierre485 (@pierre485_) November 5, 2026

Nintendo maintained its forecast of 16.5 million Switch 2 sales for the year ending March 2027, roughly 16.9% below the previous year's 19.86 million.

Games were a brighter spot. Switch 2 software sales rose 18.8% to 24.49 million during the six-month period, while digital sales increased by 60.5% year-on-year. The newly released Ocarina of Time remake could also encourage console purchases heading into the holidays. Nintendo will be hoping those releases justify a more expensive upgrade in the eyes of consumers.

– Pierre485 (@pierre485_) November 5, 2026

Beyond Nintendo's hikes, Valve's Steam Deck OLED jumped by up to $300, taking the 1TB model to $949, while even Raspberry Pi raised its prices as memory costs climbed. From budget computers to PC components and gaming handhelds, the AI boom continues to make tech purchases a more painful proposition.

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Nintendo Switch 2 sales are down 41%, and the $500 price tag isn't going to help

 

[yRaz]

Treating your customers like crap doesn't help sales. Also, everyone is waiting on GTA6 which isn't on the switch 2.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Perhaps Nintendo forgot that if they want a hardware sales boost they need to bundle that hardware with a game.

Whoever wanted to play the new Zelda, chances are they already bought a Switch 2 system before the price hikes.

 

[Megalomaniac]

Perhaps Nintendo forgot that if they want a hardware sales boost they need to bundle that hardware with a game.

Whoever wanted to play the new Zelda, chances are they already bought a Switch 2 system before the price hikes.

Nintendo could claim Fortnite as a free bundled game... Better than nothing.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Perhaps Nintendo forgot that if they want a hardware sales boost they need to bundle that hardware with a game.

Whoever wanted to play the new Zelda, chances are they already bought a Switch 2 system before the price hikes.

Nintendo has been dropping the ball hard since the Switch 1. SW1's biggest hits BotW and MK8 were both wii u games. Animal crossing was a huge downgrade and metroid prime was laughable. Dont get me started on the trash that is modern Pokemon games. Star fox's 4th remake didnt do anything for me especially without the classic voice lines.

Even Mario, does anyone remember Odyssey? People still talk about Sunshine and Galaxy and even 64 but nobody talks about the switch game anymore. Their stale software library is catching up to them.

 

[TheBigT42]

It does not help when your games run better on off the shelf hardware.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Nintendo could claim Fortnite as a free bundled game... Better than nothing.

Of course Nintendo could claim that...but then that would explain why their hardware sales are falling apart by them being so cheap.

 

[The Talking Tech]

Nintendo has been dropping the ball hard since the Switch 1. SW1's biggest hits BotW and MK8 were both wii u games. Animal crossing was a huge downgrade and metroid prime was laughable. Dont get me started on the trash that is modern Pokemon games. Star fox's 4th remake didnt do anything for me especially without the classic voice lines.

Even Mario, does anyone remember Odyssey? People still talk about Sunshine and Galaxy and even 64 but nobody talks about the switch game anymore. Their stale software library is catching up to them.

Nintendo indeed dropped the ball...that's what happens when people don't hold them accountable and start buying anything they produce regardless of overall quality.

 

[NumberNine]

They use their customers as financial toilet paper and then are dismayed when their numbers drop. Nintendo can't afford to bring value to the table these days, which they are aware of, and terrified by. Don't listen to them talk, watch their actions instead. Still no hall effect sensors as well, which unlike their other poor decisions, developers can't clean that one up for them. They've survived too long on brand recognition and now that brand is percieved differently.