We’re a week on from the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and it was nothing short of historic. Not only is the system critically acclaimed, like in our own perfect 10 review you can read now, the Switch 2 was also a massive commercial success. That almost feels like an understatement, given exactly how big the launch was.
A lot of numbers came out over the last weekend and earlier on this week, and some may have been easy to miss in the barrage of daily Switch 2 headlines. We want to break it down in the numbers, and give you the full story of what numbers made the Switch 2 the record-breaking, fastest-selling launch that it was.
The Big Picture: 3.5 Million Global Sales
Let’s start with the biggest headline. The Nintendo Switch 2 sold 3.5 million units within its first four days on sale, making it the fastest selling console in Nintendo history, and also the fastest selling console of any platform holder in history.
Most outlets reported mainly from the Nintendo angle, as Nintendo themselves were unable to declare themselves as the fastest selling console of all time as that’d involve using other company’s data. We ran the numbers ourselves however, and were able to precisely determine that this was the fastest selling console launch in history, beating out rival system the PlayStation 5 which took a full month to surpass the same figure.
It’s still impressive to look at the Switch 2 from a Nintendo lens though, as it really is a feat how far the gaming giant has managed to go over the course of the last generation. At present, the original Switch is the second best-selling home and handheld console of all time, but it’s expected to become #1 for handheld within the year over the DS, and maybe eventually surpass the PlayStation 2. Yet, the launch of the Switch 2 was a huge increase in sales over the original system. The first Switch sold 2.74 million units worldwide in a month – the Switch 2 beat that in four days.
It’s not unprecedented, as Nintendo did expect a big year with the launch of the Switch 2. They forecast around 15 million Switch 2 consoles to be sold within the fiscal year, meaning before the end of March 2026. However, it’s safe to assume that Nintendo will meet a third of that prediction before the end of this month. If they sold 3.5 million units in three days, it seems likely they could at least sell 5 million units total within the remaining 17 days. Nintendo could always revise their forecast, which we’ll be sure to update you on should it be reported.
The Triforce of the US, Europe and Japan: over a million each
Let’s dive into some regional specifics, as the launch of the Switch 2 is actually quite an even split across three of Nintendo’s biggest markets – the Unites States, Europe and their native Japan. As we reported within minutes, the Switch 2 sold almost a million units on Japan’s Famitsu sales chart, which didn’t count sales from the official Nintendo store. Including these, it’s safe to assume that a full million were sold in the region – which is 3x greater than the original Switch.
Elsewhere across the globe, both the United States and Europe sold at least a million units each, with an estimated 1 million sold in Europe and approximately 1.3 million units sold in the United States. Again, these numbers exclude sales from the official Nintendo webstore. Looking specifically at the United States, Circana reported that these sales beat the former record holder for best launch week in video game history for a console, surpassing Sony’s PlayStation 4 which held the record for over a decade.
If we take a closer look at European sales, the Switch 2 was the biggest launch for a console ever in France, selling over 200,000 units and beating the PS5’s former 107,000 unit record, and in Spain with a 108,000 units debut and beating the PSP’s 54,000 launch. One big European market which was the only one Nintendo failed to dominate was interestingly the United Kingdom. The Switch 2 sold over 160,000 units in the first few days, and it was the fastest selling Nintendo launch beating the original at a 2-1 rate, but it’s not even in the top three system launches of all time there. The PS5 remained the biggest launch for a games console, followed by the PS4 and Xbox Series X|S. This data is missing Nintendo store sales, but does use estimates.
Mario’s World Tour: 2 million racers
With a record-breaking console launch, you’d also expect some big sales for its games too. The Switch 2 has delivered around the world, with Mario Kart World dominating in every market the Switch 2 launched in. Over in Japan, Mario Kart World sold over 780,000 copies in just three days, making it the biggest launch in the series ever, along with the biggest launch sales for a system launch title in Japan’s history, beating the record set by the PS4’s Knack! Japan also had four other Switch 2 games launching in its weekly Famitsu sales chart, from Rune Factory to Zelda’s Switch 2 Editions.
Europe saw the same success for Mario Kart World, selling almost 90,000 copies in Spain which is the best-selling game of 2025, it was the #1 best-selling game in the UK with no specified sales numbers, and in France there was a 95% attachment ratio of Mario Kart World to Switch 2 sales – meaning almost 200,000 sales. The United States also saw a big attachment rate for Mario Kart World, with over 79% of Switch 2 buyers also opting to get Mario Kart World. In the US, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom follow behind Mario Kart for its best-selling Switch 2 launch titles. We’ll get the full monthly sales for these games sometime next month when Circana releases its data.
Seen as it’s the most covered Switch 2 launch title globally, we can take a closer look at Mario Kart World sales data to try and estimate a total number of Mario Kart World players. Combining the sales data from the United States, Japan, Spain and France, at least two million copies of Mario Kart World were sold within just a few days.
We hope this breakdown helped you understand the massive scale of Nintendo’s success with the Switch 2’s astronomical launch. Got any questions? Let us know in the comments down below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more breaking gaming news and Switch 2 coverage.
