Nintendo Switch 2 estimated to sell 15 million units by EOY after tariff adjustment

Nintendo Switch 2 was announced on April 2 and will go on sale starting June 5. Early sales estimates suggest that the handheld will become the fastest selling console ever, beating the original Switch, the PlayStation 4, and the Wii. What’s interesting is the sales numbers were lowered compared to the original estimates after taking into account the tariff situation.

The research and consulting firm, DFC Intelligence, has reported that the Nintendo Switch 2 is estimated to sell 15 million units by the end of this year, despite being available half way into the year. This will make the handheld the fastest selling console ever. The firm had originally estimated the Switch 2 to sell 17 million units but that was adjusted and lowered to 15 million because of tariffs and pricing concerns.

The reason for these high sales numbers are the sub $500 price point, the spec upgrades over the original Switch, as well as the ample third-party support. This includes the games that were announced to arrive for the Switch 2, some at launch and some later, such as Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Project 007, Borderlands 4, Street Fighter 6, and more.

The firm also analysed how PlayStation and Xbox owners feel about the Nintendo Switch 2 (through comments from over 600 users) and it found that 61% had a positive sentiment while only 30% were not interested. Of this 61%, 20% were going to be early adopters while 41% were cautiously positive about the Switch 2. 

However, shortly after the US pre-order date of April 9 was revealed, a Nintendo spokesperson announced that pre-orders have been delayed to “assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions.” A final date has not been confirmed yet. The Switch 2 is priced at $450 with a Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle priced at $500.