New reports indicate that most third-partySwitch 2games are struggling to sell well on Nintendo’s new console. First-party games such asMario Kart Worldhave been widely successful on the platform, and most of the attention seems to be going to them instead of otherSwitch 2games.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was released on June 5, and it comes in two editions: a basic console-only model for $450 or a bundle withMario Kart Worldfor $500. By all accounts, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been doing very well since its launch, selling over 3.5 million units in only four days. Third-party games, however, do not seem to be achieving the same level of success.
Now,The Game Businesshas reported that, according to data from NielsenIQ, 86% of the physical Switch 2 game sales were first-party, when including theMario Kart Worldbundle. By excluding the bundle, the number goes down to 48%, but that’s still a lot considering that most of theSwitch 2’s launch titleswere not first-party. Data from Circana shows that in the US, 68% of the sales were for first-party games when excluding the bundle. The report also indicated that the best-selling third-party game wasCyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition. However, Sega was the biggest third-party publisher, due to offering multiple games, includingYakuza 0: Director’s Cut, andSonic X Shadows Generations. Also, one unnamed publisher told the outlet that sales were “below our lowest estimates,” despite how successful the Switch 2 has been.
First-Party Games Are Vastly Outselling Third-Party Ones on the Nintendo Switch 2
While the reasons third-party Switch 2 games are struggling are not entirely clear yet, it’s possible to find some likely culprits. For one,Mario Kart Worldis a huge gameand the big launch exclusive, so it makes sense that people would focus on it over other games. Also, the Switch 2 is backward compatible with the Switch 1, so gamers may already have an ample library of games to play. Finally, it’s worth noting that these numbers come from physical sales, so third-party games could potentially be doing better digitally.
It remains to be seen if the situation will improve in the future, or if first-party games will continue to dominate the scene in the Switch 2. Nintendo has some high-profile games coming up, such asDonkey Kong BananzaandPokemon Legends: Z-A. On the other hand,exclusives such as FromSoftware’sThe Duskbloodscould take up part of the market share, too, as this is an eagerly awaited title that will certainly draw attention.
