Early sales figures confirm that the Nintendo Switch 2 has become the company's most successful console launch in UK history, surpassing the previous record held by the Nintendo 3DS.
Despite this achievement, initial UK sales for the Switch 2 were still below those of the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, according to NielsenIQ data reported by The Game Business.
Although the full sales total for the Switch 2 has not yet been made public, it will exceed the 113,000 units the Nintendo 3DS sold in the UK back in 2011. In fact, it is reportedly more than double the supply-constrained Switch 1, which sold over 80,000 units in 2017.
To a significant extent, Nintendo has managed to avoid the kind of hardware shortages that affected the UK launches of both the original Switch and the Wii, where some customers faced weeks of waiting before getting their consoles.
So why didn’t the Switch 2 outsell the PS4, Xbox Series X/S, or even the PS5—which itself faced severe stock shortages for months after its release? As The Game Business notes, the UK has always been a challenging market for Nintendo, largely due to the widespread popularity of Sony and Microsoft consoles.
High ownership rates across all three major platforms mean that the market is more evenly divided in the UK than in countries where Nintendo clearly leads over either Sony or Microsoft (such as Japan) or where PlayStation holds a stronger lead over Xbox.
Nintendo Switch 2 System and Accessories Gallery
View 91 Images
Another factor worth considering is the Switch 2’s UK price point—a relatively high £395.99 without Mario Kart World, and £429.99 including the game.
Yesterday, unverified French market data for the Switch 2 was shared online by a well-known sales insider, as reported by Wccftech. The data claims the console sold 200,000 units at launch in France—double the previous record set by the PS5. Additionally, the attach rate for Mario Kart World—the proportion of Switch 2 owners who purchased the game—was reportedly over 95%.
Nintendo has projected global sales of 15 million Switch 2 units and 45 million game sales for the current financial year, ending March 31, 2026. Some analysts have described these figures as "conservative." The company has stated its goal is to match the successful launch of the original Switch.
If you're just beginning your journey in Mario Kart World, you may find it helpful to learn how to unlock the game’s hidden Mirror Mode—including the ability to explore it in Free Roam using a clever Super Mario 64 Easter egg.
