The launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 was a huge success, with over 3.5 million units sold, making it Nintendo’s fastest-selling piece of hardware ever. However, the same can’t be said for third-party games launching on the platform on day one. Earlier this month, Switch 2 versions of existing games from third-party publishers such as CD Projekt Red, Warner Bros., EA, Sega, 2K and others launched alongside the new console, but sales were reportedly disappointing.
Switch 2 third-party sales disappoint
According to data compiled by The Game Business, the Switch 2 had better third-party sales than the Switch 1 during the console’s launch window, but not by much. Citing data from multiple market analysis companies, the report said that although Switch 2 sales have reached millions of units, sales from most third-party publishers have been “very low.” In fact, an unnamed third-party publisher reportedly said that its Switch 2 sales failed to meet “minimum expectations.”
However, CD Projekt Red’s “Cyberpunk 2077” is an exception. According to NielsenIQ data cited in the report, the RPG game was the best-selling third-party game during the Switch 2’s launch, surpassing sales of The Witcher 3 on the Switch 1.
According to Circana, Sega was the third-largest publisher in terms of Switch 2 sales during its launch, behind first-party Nintendo sales and CD Projekt Red. The publisher released “Yakuza 0” Director’s Cut, “Sonic X Shadow Generations” and “Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S” as launch games on Switch 2.
Not surprisingly, Nintendo first-party games accounted for the bulk of game sales when the Switch 2 launched. The report states that in the week of launch, first-party games accounted for 86% of Switch 2 physical game sales in the UK, including the “Mario Kart World” bundle. In the United States, these games accounted for 62% of Switch 2 physical game sales in the week of release (excluding the Mario Kart World Bundle).
First-party games released on Switch 2 on launch day include Mario Kart World, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. Overall, Switch 2 owners prefer physical games, which account for more than 80% of digital and physical game retail sales, the report said.
Nintendo Switch 2 was released on June 5, with sales of 3.5 million units in the week of release. The hybrid console is Nintendo’s fastest-selling gaming system ever. The Switch 2 also beat the PS4 to set an all-time record for first-week sales of video game hardware in the United States.