While fervor around the Switch 2 launch is at a pretty big high, it seems as if only Nintendo is really benefitting from the release of new hardware. A report from The Game Business states that other than Cyberpunk 2077, third-party games have had an incredibly slow start on the Switch 2.
“Most third-party Switch 2 games posted very low numbers,” reads the report. “One third-party publisher characterized the numbers as ‘below our lowest estimates.’” The report also claims that 62% of physical Switch 2 game sales came from first-party games during launch week, with Mario Kart World obviously taking the top spot while The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Switch 2 Edition was also selling incredibly well (per Circana’s data).
Going further, NielsenIQ data shows that in the UK, 86% of Switch 2 physical game sales came from first-party titles, with Mario Kart World topping those charts as well. While that number is actually a little lower than the Switch 1’s launch, it’s really surprising considering Nintendo only has one brand-new game available for launch. The other titles are upgraded versions of Switch 1 games. I guess people still only associate Nintendo consoles with Nintendo games.
The Game Business speculates on a few reasons why this could be happening to third-parties. For one, the Switch 2 launch had a wider selection of games available than the original Switch, which launched with only five titles. By comparison, the Switch 2 had 13 games available at launch, which widened the pool and possibly resulted in individual games not selling as well. There’s also the fact that Nintendo did not send out review units ahead of time, resulting in zero coverage on release day for how specific ports wound up. You also have the near-full backward compatibility with the original Switch, meaning something like Sonic X Shadow Generations retailing for $50 on Switch 2 with no upgrade option could have resulted in people simply skipping that version.
We could ruminate on the why forever, but the most plausible answer is likely that most of the third-party games available for Switch 2 have been available on other platforms for years (in some cases). I know a niche game like Capcom’s Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess would have already been purchased by anyone interested since it was available for not only current generation platforms, but the PS4 and Xbox One. Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut is neat, but the game has been available in the US for eight years, not to mention is now ten years old in Japan. If you haven’t played them by now, I don’t think a Switch 2 version will make those games more exciting.
More Switch 2
Cyberpunk 2077 runs decently well on Switch 2, supports keyboard and mouse controls
Mario Kart World tops Japanese sales charts for its launch week, Switch 2 sells 947,931 units
Nearly 3,000 Switch 2 systems totaling $1.4 million were stolen in a truck heist
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
