Switch 2 third party games sold ‘below our lowest estimates’ says publisher

The Nintendo Switch 2 may have had a hugely successful launch, but sales for third party games are lower than anticipated.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the fastest-selling console in history, with over 3.5 million units sold within its first four days, but its success hasn’t trickled down to third party games yet.

While Mario Kart World was the main attraction at launch, the Switch 2 has arguably the best third party support of any Nintendo console yet – with the likes of Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, Split Fiction, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6, and others.

When compared to the dire third party line-up for the original Switch launch (Just Dance 2017, Shovel Knight, Super Bomberman R, and Skylanders: Imaginators), it’s a substantial improvement – but this hasn’t translated to a significant boost in game sales.

According to figures collated by The Game Business, 62% of Switch 2 physical game sales in the US on launch week were for first party games, which doesn’t include the Mario Kart World bundle.

As for the UK, 48% of Switch 2 physical game sales on launch week were for first party games, excluding the Mario Kart World bundle. However, if you do include bundle, this percentage jumps up to 86%, leaving only 14% for third parties.

While you might be raising an eyebrow at the emphasis on physical sales, of the games which were released both digitally and physically, over 80% of Switch 2 game sales came from physical retailers – so it’s a fair reflection of the overall picture.

When you compare these figures to the original Switch launch, it is a small improvement. According to Circana figures, 81% of US physical game sales were from first party games on the Switch when the console launched in March 2017, while it was 89% in the UK.

This suggests third parties have fared slightly better during the Switch 2’s launch. However, according to the report, most third party Switch 2 games have sold in ‘very low’ numbers. An unnamed third party publisher described the numbers as ‘below our lowest estimates’.

This perceived improvement is also undercut by the fact the Switch 2 had far more physical games available at launch. The original Switch only had five, whereas the Switch 2 had 13 in total, so the losses for third parties are higher overall, as they had a larger presence.

As for the potential reasons as to why this has happened, it’s a complex mixture. Nintendo didn’t release Switch 2 consoles to press until launch, which prevented outlets from posting reviews of these games until after the fact.

Speaking to The Game Business last month, one unnamed PR boss said the ‘lack of independent critical validation is going to make it very hard for us’ and they may have been ‘better off waiting a few weeks’.

There are other factors at play too. The Switch 2 is expensive, and when Mario Kart World is the main attraction, many people have perhaps ignored the third party selection until they’ve maxed out Nintendo’s kart racer. And by that point Donkey Kong Bananza will be out.

Unlike the original Switch, the Switch 2 has backwards compatibility, with old titles – and including upgrades for some titles, so people have less reason to invest in brand new games.

Combined with the fact that the majority of the Switch 2 third party line-up were ports of older titles, and the negativity around Game-Key Cards, it’s easy to see why sales might have been lower than hoped for.

Notably, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, one of the few games not to utilise Game-Key Cards, was the best-selling third party title on the system, beating launch sales for The Witcher 3 on the original Switch.

It’s possible this situation will be confined to the Switch 2’s launch, and third party sales will pick up in the coming weeks, but Nintendo systems are synonymous with Nintendo games – which has only been amplified through the poor third party support in prior generations.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see how things shake out when higher profile games hit the system, such as Elden Ring, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Star Wars Outlaws, and 007 First Light.

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