Switch 2's Third-Party Performance: A Mixed Start

The Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a strong start, selling 3.5 million consoles. But aside from playing Mario Kart World, have you purchased many other games? And how many of those weren't developed by Nintendo?

Analysis of the console's launch week sales data reveals a complex picture for software from other publishers. Of course, Nintendo's own games are the main draw for its hardware—approximately 80% of Switch 2 consoles sold so far have been the bundled version that includes Mario Kart World.

Beyond that, Nintendo introduced its new platform with the bite-sized tech demo and mini-game collection Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour. Players can also purchase The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom in their new Switch 2 Editions or upgrade existing copies. Of course, owners of the original Switch also have full access to their existing libraries to continue playing. So perhaps it's not entirely surprising that third-party software hasn't taken a larger share of early sales.

In the UK, 86% of physical game sales for the Switch 2 during its launch week were first-party titles, according to NielsenIQ data reported by The Game Business. This figure includes copies of Mario Kart World bundled with the console and is roughly comparable to the 89% first-party share seen during the original Switch's launch week.

In the US, third-party publishers saw slightly better results. According to Circana, first-party titles accounted for 62% of physical game sales during the Switch 2's launch week. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella notes this compares to a figure above 80% for the first month of the original Switch.

The best-selling non-Nintendo game during the Switch 2's first week was CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077. Meanwhile, Sega, which launched Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, Sonic x Shadow Generations, and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, was the platform's third-largest publisher for the launch week.

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The Game Business reports that one unnamed third-party publisher described their Switch 2 launch sales as "below our lowest estimates," despite strong hardware sales for Nintendo's new console. It's a striking statement, but facing competition from a juggernaut like Mario Kart World and a lack of pre-launch reviews for Switch 2 games, perhaps the situation is understandable.

Another factor to consider is that the original Switch launched with only five physical games, while the Switch 2 launched with 13 available titles, which likely spreads consumer demand more thinly.

Ultimately, Piscatella wrote that meaningful data on how the Switch 2 is performing for third-party publishers will emerge—but for now, it's simply too early to draw definitive conclusions.

"It's far too early to declare anything the 'best' or 'worst' when it comes to the Switch 2," Piscatella concluded. "Goodness, the console hasn't even been out for three weeks yet."