Early sales for the Nintendo Switch 2 continue to climb, and the latest figures show just how fast the system is moving. Nintendo’s recent financial results confirm strong demand heading into the holiday season. The company sold 4.54 million Nintendo Switch 2 units in Q3, pushing its four-month total to 10.36 million. That momentum comes after a launch period filled with questions about the higher price, limited pre-release reviews, and concerns around the new game-card distribution model.
A new report puts those numbers into perspective. With 10.36 million units sold in four months, the Nintendo Switch 2 is tracking ahead of the PS5 by 32 percent during its first six months. It also sits about 80 percent higher than the PS4 during the same period. When you stack that against how strong the PS4 era was, the scale of Nintendo’s early performance becomes even clearer.
Nintendo Switch 2’s Early Surge
Nintendo faced a rough stretch before this launch. Sales of the original Nintendo Switch dropped by more than 30 percent year over year in the nine months leading to the end of 2024. The long gap between hardware generations had many wondering whether the Nintendo Switch 2 arrived too late. Some questioned the cost. Others wondered if the refresh did enough to move the platform forward. That doubt didn’t last long.
Nintendo moved 3.5 million consoles in the first three days. That number reached 5.8 million by the end of the month. The strong demand carried through Q3, hitting 10.36 million sold by September 30. Q4 numbers are not yet available, but it is traditionally the best period for console sales.
How Nintendo Switch 2 Compares to PS5, PS4, and PS2
The comparison points tell the story. Sony shipped 7.8 million PS5 consoles in its first six months. The Switch 2 passed that mark in four. The gap is even wider when compared to the PS4. The Switch 2 sits roughly 4.6 million units ahead during the same early window. Even the PS2, the best-selling console of all time, sold 8.1 million units in its first six months, which lands below Nintendo’s current pace.
The original Switch continues to chart high as well. Nintendo reports roughly 154 million lifetime sales as of September. That puts the system second all time behind the PS2, which sits at 160 million.
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| Graph provided by Skinsluck.com |
Final Thoughts
Seeing these numbers laid out like this gives you a clearer sense of how big the Nintendo Switch 2 launch actually is. The Nintendo Switch 2 didn’t just recover from a slow period for Nintendo. It pushed past the early totals of the PS5, PS4, and even the PS2 in a way that feels surprising when you stop and look at the comparison. I remember wondering how the higher price and the new distribution model would land with people, and it is interesting to see how little those concerns held the system back during its first few months.
I always find it fun to follow early hardware reports because they show where the market is heading long before the holiday season wraps up. This one stands out. A four-month window is still early, but the pace is clear. Nintendo found an audience fast, and the Switch brand still has the kind of momentum that carries through even when expectations are mixed. I am curious to see what the Q4 numbers look like once Nintendo shares them, especially since that stretch normally brings in the biggest spike of the year.