TheNintendo Switch 2is enjoying a record-breaking launch, selling 3.5 million units in less than four days. That makes itthe fastest-selling console of all time, and puts it well ahead of the original Switch’sentire first month.
Given the success of the originalSwitch, its sequel was always going to get off to a running start. Nintendo is coming off the second-best-selling home console of all-time and the second-best-selling handheld, too. It would take a world-class fumble to mess it up, and the high price point, while much discussed, didn’t do much to slow it down. The real test for the Switch 2, though, will be how it performs over the course of its first year, not its first week.
Does Switch 2 Have Any Games?
The Switch 2 will have to answer the same question that every new console has to answer: Does it have any games? At the moment, it has one great exclusive inMario Kart World, one bad exclusive inNintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, plus a handful of first-party upgrades and third-party ports.Donkey Kong Bananzawill likely be great but, after that, the future gets a little hazy.
I’m excited to playMetroid Prime 4, but it isn’t exclusive, as it will also launch on the original Switch. A newPokémonwould be a major system seller, butLegends Z-Awill be available on Switch, as well. The only other exclusives set for 2025 areKirby Air RidersandHyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. All due respect to the Musou and the mouth, but neither strike me as a killer app, regardless of quality. TheDuskbloodswill arrive in 2026, but fans are mixed onFromSoftware’s new multiplayer-forward direction. Nintendo likely has at least one unannounced game ready for the holidays, but it will need that and more to keep the launch momentum up.
I Already Have A Switch
But the Switch 2 faces obstacles that are unique to it, as well; obstacles the original Switch never faced. Like, for example, the existence of the Switch. Obviously, the3DSandWii Uwere still around when the Switch launched, and they continued to get new games for a while after the Switch arrived, too. But the Switch accomplished something entirely different than either of its immediate predecessors. It brought the home console performance of the Wii U (plus some extra horsepower) together with the portability of the 3DS. There had been great handhelds before, but the Switch was the first to completely bridge the gap between home and to-go.
But, eight years later, there are a bunch of machines that accomplish something similar. Want to play yourSteamlibrary on the go? Pick up aSteam Deck. Want to seamlessly play Game Pass on the go? Grab aROG Xbox Allythis fall. Need some sweet PlayStation action? ThePlayStation Portaldoes that. Not all of these (or the several other handhelds) are created equal, and some, like the PlayStation Portal, are a waste of money unless you have great Wi-Fi and another expensive device.
But the Switch started a trend. In the same way that the success of the Game Boy and its follow-ups paved the way for the PSP, the Switch seeded the ground for its own competition. Now, theDS still bodyslammed the PSP and the 3DS nuked the Vita from orbit, but the returns were smaller for both successor consoles. Players with a DS didn’t necessarily see the need to purchase a 3DS and PSP fans may not have even been aware the Vita existed. Nintendo has long dominated the handheld game, and PlayStation’s attempts never came close to dethroning it. But by showing that both the tech and demands were there for a handheld that could play home console quality games, Nintendo invited a whole bunch of competitors to jump into the ring.
Will any of them compete with the Switch 2’s sales dominance? I really doubt it. But, Steam, ASUS, Xbox, and PlayStation all having their own portable systems — not to mention increasingly impressive gaming on phones — have given Nintendo an uphill climb. This won’t stop the Switch 2 from selling well. But given that Nintendo has invested in a significantly more powerful console that is more expensive to produce (before you even factor in tariffs), it needs to do more than just sell well. It’s off to a strong start, but enthusiasm is always highest at launch. Nintendo will need to keep up the pace to make the Switch 2’s big bet worth it.
