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| Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 hardware shown together as Nintendo manages a gradual platform transition. |
By Jon Scarr
Nintendo Switch 2 may be getting most of the attention right now, but Nintendo isn’t treating its new system like a hard reset. After a launch that already pushed Nintendo Switch 2 past 17 million units sold worldwide, the company appears to be taking a more deliberate approach to how the transition unfolds.
Alongside Nintendo Switch 2’s rapid early growth, Nintendo reports that Nintendo Switch hardware still sold 3.25 million units, with 108.93 million Nintendo Switch software units sold over the same period. That’s not the profile of a platform being quietly pushed aside.
Nintendo Switch Is Still Part of the Picture
Nintendo Switch has reached a different phase of its life, but it hasn’t stepped out of the picture. Hardware sales are lower than they once were, yet they remain meaningful, especially when paired with a library that continues to see updates, re-releases, and long-tail engagement.
That ongoing activity comes at an important moment. Nintendo Switch has now become Nintendo’s best-selling hardware platform of all time, passing every previous system in the company’s history. Rather than drawing a line under that success, Nintendo appears content to let it continue alongside Nintendo Switch 2.
For Nintendo Switch owners, that means there’s no pressure to move immediately. Nintendo Switch still works, still has new content arriving, and still fits into Nintendo’s broader plans.
Backward Compatibility Is Doing the Real Work
That approach lines up with what we’re seeing on the software side as well, where Mario Kart World has been a major part of Nintendo Switch 2’s early momentum.
A big reason this transition feels so smooth is backward compatibility. Nintendo Switch games don’t lose relevance the moment Nintendo Switch 2 enters the picture. Existing libraries carry forward, both in ownership and in how people actually play.
That overlap gives Nintendo Switch 2 a very different starting point than past systems. Instead of asking players to start over, Nintendo is letting years of purchases move with them. It’s a quieter approach, but it lowers the barrier to adopting new hardware and helps explain why the transition feels steady rather than disruptive.
This Is a Different Kind of Generational Shift
Nintendo has been through sharper transitions before. The move from the Nintendo Wii U to the Nintendo Switch came with a clear break and a clear message that the old platform was finished. This time, the shift is much softer.
Nintendo Switch 2 is growing quickly, but it’s doing so while Nintendo Switch remains active, relevant, and widely used. That gives Nintendo flexibility. It can space out releases, support older games longer, and let players move at their own pace instead of forcing a deadline.
For now, that balance looks intentional. Nintendo Switch 2 is becoming the centre of attention, but Nintendo Switch isn’t being left behind. It’s still part of the same ecosystem, and that continuity is shaping how this generation is settling in.
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