The Nintendo Switch 2 will be officially released within 2025, and Nintendo will do their best to ship enough of it to avoid upsells.
No need to worry about missing out on Switch 2.
On February 4, Nintendo released its financial report for the first three quarters of the 2025 fiscal year (ending March 2025). Now in its eighth year since launch, the Nintendo Switch has seen significant declines in performance compared to the same period last year: From April 1 to December 31, 2024, sales reached 956.2 billion yen (down 31.4% year-over-year), while operating profit plummeted 46.7%.
Accordingly, Nintendo revised its full-year forecasts downward. Compared to its November 5 financial projections, the company reduced its annual sales forecast by 7% and operating profit by 22%. The Switch sales target was also lowered from 13.5 million units to 11 million units for the fiscal year.
Notably, despite slowing momentum, cumulative Switch sales surpassed 150 million units as of December 2024—having sold 4.8 million units in the last quarter alone, up from 146.04 million units reported in September 2023.
Nintendo's current best-selling console remains the Nintendo DS at 154.02 million units, just 3.2 million units ahead of the Switch. At its current sales pace, the Switch is expected to overtake the DS in the following quarterly report to become Nintendo's highest-selling console ever.
President Shuntaro Furukawa emphasized that Switch still boasts over 100 million active users annually. Even after the Switch 2 launches, he stated sales of the original Switch will continue "as long as there’s demand," with plans to release new games and innovative offerings to retain players.
Recent releases like Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze (January 2024) and upcoming titles such as Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (March 2024) have garnered positive reception. Nintendo also highlighted collaborations with third-party studios on significant franchises like Pokémon Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, aiming to sustain platform vitality through new and existing titles.
During the earnings Q&A, Furukawa reconfirmed the Switch 2’s 2025 release window. Reflecting on the Switch’s 2017 launch shortages and scalping issues, he revealed Nintendo is "taking risks" to aggressively ramp up Switch 2 production, ensuring sufficient inventory for a "smooth launch."
The use of the term "risk" in an earnings call—rare for corporate executives—underscores Nintendo’s determination to combat scalping. Notably, while most gaming companies reduce inventory ahead of holiday seasons, Nintendo’s inventory surged by the end of Q3 2024 (December), likely signaling Switch 2 stockpiling.
Final production volumes and launch timing will depend on feedback from Nintendo’s April 2 "Direct" showcase and global hands-on events planned for April to June 2024 in Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the U.S.
The bad news: This suggests the Switch 2 won’t launch until after July 2024, post-demo events. The good news? You probably won’t have to fight scalpers this time.
