Key facts
- Nintendo Switch 2 sales in the United States fell 12 percent year-over-year in September 2026, according to Circana's monthly report.
- Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the Nintendo Switch 2 is still doing "very well" and sees nothing concerning in the latest sales numbers.
- Piscatella explained that year-over-year comparisons for the Switch 2 are unusual because it is rare for such a successful device in its first year to not have had supply constraints.
- Nintendo dropped the Mario Kart World bundle and shifted to a standalone SKU while maintaining the price point, so there was effectively no significant price change on store shelves.
Circana’s September 2026 report shows the Nintendo Switch 2 is no longer the fastest-selling console in the United States…. The Nintendo Switch 2 had held the top sales position during its first year on sale. The latest monthly report brought that run to an end….
Circana’s monthly report shows U.S. Switch 2 sales down 12 percent year-over-year for September 2026. The comparison is measured against September 2025.
Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the system is still doing very well and that he sees nothing concerning in the latest numbers. He expects the numbers to improve once a major Zelda game arrives….
Piscatella put it directly: “I’m not seeing anything to be concerned about in the Switch 2 numbers at all, and I’m sure it’s going to pop with Zelda.” Piscatella said the comparison is unusual because it is rare for a successful first-year device to avoid supply constraints…. He put it this way: “The comps are weird on Switch 2 because it’s rare that such a successful device in its first year doesn’t have supply constraints.” Despite the shift, Circana analyst Mat Piscatella still assesses the system’s overall performance positively….
By June 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2’s install base in the United States reached 5.9 million units after 12 months on sale. An install base is the total number of units customers own. That figure ranked the Nintendo Switch 2 second in U.S. history for first-year hardware sales. Only the Game Boy Advance exceeded that figure, with 6.5 million units sold in its first year.
Nintendo described the Switch 2 as its fastest-selling hardware ever worldwide, though the company noted weak sales in western markets late in 2025. The recent U.S. year-over-year decline contrasts with that global performance.
Nintendo raised the Switch 2’s price by $50 to $499.99. The change took effect on September 1, 2026. Piscatella said the bundling strategy kept the shelf price impact to a minimum.
Nintendo ended the Mario Kart World bundle and moved to a standalone SKU, keeping the price point unchanged. A SKU is a specific product version that stores stock. Effectively, no significant price change showed up on store shelves….
The Game Business reported that Switch 2 sales in the United Kingdom rose 17 percent year-over-year in September 2026. UK sales in October 2026 were up 2.2 percent. The stronger UK performance contrasts with the U.S. decline….
The figures suggest demand for the console differs across markets.
Nintendo shipped a special edition Switch 2 console in October 2026 celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Legend of Zelda franchise. Fans have an additional purchase incentive with the special-edition hardware.
Mat Piscatella of Circana expects The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to significantly strengthen demand for Nintendo Switch 2 hardware. Described as Nintendo’s biggest release of 2026, the game is dropping imminently.
Piscatella predicted a holiday shopping season sales boom from the game’s release paired with the anniversary edition console. He expects strong demand….
Piscatella predicted strong sales for the Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2, with resale prices potentially reaching $4,000 on eBay because of limited availability. It underscores Piscatella’s confidence in Zelda’s ability to drive hardware purchases….
For May 2026 and the 2026 year-to-date period, the Nintendo Switch 2 topped U.S. hardware platforms in unit and dollar sales. U.S. video game hardware spending increased 38 percent year-over-year in May 2026 to $249 million. The Nintendo Switch 2 offset a 43 percent drop in PlayStation 5 spending. PlayStation 5 unit sales fell 58 percent, a decline driven by recent price increases.
That strong performance helped carry the overall market higher.
Xbox Series hardware spending grew 7 percent while unit sales fell 12 percent in May 2026. No May month in the United States had ever recorded lower unit sales. Microsoft attributed its price increases to an ongoing components crisis.
A new unit of video game hardware cost $502 on average in the United States in May 2026. That was up 14 percent from $440 a year earlier. PlayStation 5 average pricing rose 33 percent to $672, while Xbox Series pricing increased 22 percent to $524. Price hikes across all three major console manufacturers drove the increase, reflecting the broader trend of rising hardware costs across the industry.
Nintendo’s forecast calls for 16.5 million Switch 2 console sales over the coming financial year, down from 19.86 million units sold since launch. In May 2026, the company warned that Switch 2 sales were more concentrated around launch than with earlier hardware systems. Even with the expected decline, cumulative Switch 2 sales after 22 months would remain ahead of where the original Switch stood at the same point.
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