Nintendo Holds Firm on Switch 2 Goal—Sales Blast Past 17 Million!
Nintendo kept its sales goal for the Switch 2 at 19 million units for the year ending March 2026. The company has already sold 17.37 million units. This makes the Switch 2 Nintendo’s fastest-selling console ever. On Tuesday, Nintendo shared great results for its third quarter ending December 31. Revenue jumped 86% to about $5.2 billion. Profit grew 24%. Both beat what experts predicted. This calmed fears that sales were slowing down after the June launch.
Switch 2 has sold 17.37 million units worldwide!
– Fastest selling console ever pic.twitter.com/HMEZsMVfMe
— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) February 3, 2026
Investors worried the Switch 2 might flop during the busy December holiday season. But it sold 7 million units in that quarter alone. Big games helped a lot. “Mario Kart World” sold 14 million copies. “Donkey Kong Bananza” sold 4.25 million. In the U.S., it was the top-selling console last December, according to research firm Circana. Kantan Games CEO Serkan Toto said the feared sales drop “did not happen.”
Nintendo’s stock price had fallen by over 30% since hitting a high in August. The news lifted some pressure. Revenue hit 806.32 billion Japanese yen ($5.2 billion). That’s more than the expected 847.73 billion yen? Wait, no—it was a bit under on revenue but still way up from last year. Profit was 159.93 billion yen, beating the forecast of 147.3 billion yen.
Rising prices for memory chips worry investors. These chips are key parts of consoles. Nintendo’s boss, Shuntaro Furukawa, said prices aren’t hurting this year much. But they could cut profits later. Expert James McWhirter from Omdia says companies like Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft will pay more soon. They’ll pass those costs to buyers through higher prices for consoles, games, or add-ons.
Another issue is that Does Nintendo have enough new games? People might not upgrade from the old Switch without exciting titles.
The public reaction on X (formerly Twitter) to Nintendo’s latest earnings report is a fascinating mix of commercial awe, technical skepticism, and classic “console war” rivalry.
One of the enthusiastic users focusing on market dominance, the sheer velocity of sales—nearly 20 million units in just seven months—is being hailed as “insane,” cementing the Switch 2’s status as a cultural juggernaut that is moving units faster than any predecessor.
Sony gonna change history to beat this one
— …… (@___13EN___) February 3, 2026
However, tech critics aren’t staying quiet. Another user voiced disappointment over the lack of a “killer app” library and Nintendo’s ongoing “tax” on performance, noting that developers frequently cap ambitious third-party ports at 30fps with low resolutions.
Sad that it has no big games so far and almost every third party ports run abysmal 30fps low rez 🙁
— Rizky Gumilar (@m_rizky_gumilar) February 3, 2026
This technical gap keeps the competitive fire alive, with Sony fans predicting that PlayStation will have to “change history” with a massive hardware or software counter-move to reclaim the top spot.
Less than 7 months!
Think about that. Closing in on 20 million units in just over half a year.
That's INSANE.
— Jaxon Holden (@ActionJaxonH) February 3, 2026
Good news that new games are on the way. “Mario Tennis Fever” launches in February. “Pokémon Pokopia” comes in March. These are from Nintendo’s top series. In April, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” hits theaters. The first Mario movie in 2023 boosted old Switch sales big time. Nintendo hopes for the same magic now.
McWhirter calls 2026 a key year for Switch 2. It must appeal to everyday players, not just superfans. Prices could be a hurdle. Nintendo might offer game bundles during the holidays to help sales. Strong games always sell hardware for Nintendo. But fans who love the first Switch need reasons to switch—like better sequels worth the cost.
Nintendo’s Switch 2 is off to a hot start. Sales are booming, and new content keeps the buzz alive. Watch for memory costs and game hits to shape what’s next.
