Nintendo Sold 6.49 Million Switch 2 Consoles in Six Months, Down From 10.36 Million a Year Earlier

Nintendo sold 6.49 million Switch 2 consoles between April 1 and September 30, 2026, down from 10.36 million in the same period a year earlier, according to the company's latest financial results.

The drop of 3.87 million units, roughly 37 percent, covers the first half of Nintendo's fiscal year and mostly predates the gaming console's $50 price increase in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Nintendo also lowered its expectations for the full year. The company now forecasts 16.5 million Switch 2 units sold by March 31, 2027, compared with 19.86 million in the previous 12-month period, a reduction of 16.9 percent.

Nintendo Switch 2 Hardware and Software Sales

Nintendo labels the reporting window FY27 Q1 to Q2, the first six months of its fiscal year ending March 31, 2027. The original Switch sold 1.27 million units in the same six months, down 32.7 percent. That decline is expected for a console in its final years.

The Switch 2 numbers stand out because the console's first year went so well. It sold 19.8 million units in that period, which is more than the original Switch managed in its first full year (around 17.7 million). The original Switch then doubled that figure in its second year, a pattern the Switch 2 forecast does not follow.

Software sales moved in the other direction:

• Switch 2 games rose 18.8 percent, from 20.62 million to 24.49 million units
• Switch games rose 6.8 percent, from 61.56 million to 65.73 million units

Nintendo says in its report that consumers continued to adopt the Switch 2 even though hardware sales declined year over year, and it credits the release of new titles for that.

Switch 2 Price Increase and the Holiday Quarter

Nintendo announced the Switch 2 price increase in May 2026. Japan saw the higher price immediately, while the US, Canada, and Europe moved to the new price on September 1, 2026. The console now costs $500, up from its $450 launch price. Nintendo attributed the change to "changes in market conditions."

Because the reporting period ended on September 30, the results show only one month of sales at the higher price in most Western markets. The reduced forecast is Nintendo's first indication of how it expects the holiday quarter to go.

For buyers, the current situation is straightforward. The Switch 2 costs $500 in the US, and Nintendo's sales growth now comes from software, including new releases such as the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which launched this week.

Nintendo has not broken down how much of the hardware decline it attributes to the price increase, and the effect of the $500 price on holiday sales will only show up in the company's next quarterly results.