Nintendo has announced in its latest fiscal report that the Nintendo Switch has surpassed 150 million units sold worldwide, cementing its place as one of the best-selling gaming consoles of all time. The hybrid system now trails only the Nintendo DS (154 million) and PlayStation 2 (160 million) in lifetime sales, positioning it to potentially claim the top spot in the coming years.
Financial Performance Highlights (April–December 2024)
The report revealed mixed results for the company’s fiscal performance during the first three quarters of FY25 (April 1–December 31, 2024):
- Net sales: ¥956.2 billion ($6.1 billion), down 31.4% year-over-year.
- Operating profit: ¥247.5 billion ($1.6 billion), a 46.7% decline.
- Hardware sales: 9.54 million Switch units sold, a 30.6% drop compared to FY24.
- OLED Model: 5.07 million units (-37.9%).
- Standard Switch: 2.74 million units (-19.4%).
- Switch Lite: 1.73 million units (-20.5%).
- Software sales: 123.98 million units (-24.4%), with 19 million-seller titles this fiscal year (12 Nintendo-published, 7 third-party).
While the Switch’s momentum has slowed—a natural trend for a console in its eighth year—its first-party software continues to drive engagement. Notable releases during the holiday 2024 period included:
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: 3.4 million units sold.
- Super Mario Party Jamboree: 5.6 million units sold.
- Mario and Luigi: Brothership: 1.4 million units sold.
Nintendo emphasized that “evergreen titles” like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros. Wonder continue to sell steadily, bolstering long-term software revenue.
To overtake the DS and PS2, the Switch needs to sell 4 million more units to surpass the DS and 10 million to eclipse the PS2. However, with hardware sales declining sharply year-over-year and no major first-party games announced beyond early 2025, analysts suggest the Switch’s record-breaking potential hinges on sustained demand and strategic pricing adjustments.
Nintendo has announced that the successor to the Switch will be released later this year. They plan to share more details about the hardware and software for the new console during a Nintendo Direct on April 2, 2025. The upcoming hardware release may affect the longevity of the current Nintendo Switch. The company has anticipated this and is forecasting lower sales numbers for the upcoming fiscal year.
