Quick answer: Nintendo Switch 2 sold 6.49 million units in the first half of its fiscal year ending March 2027, down 37.4% year on year. Lifetime sell-in is 26.35 million, and Nintendo left its full year hardware forecast at 16.5 million unchanged.
Nintendo Switch 2 hardware sales slowed in the first half of the company’s fiscal year, but the console is still on a stronger launch-aligned pace than the original Switch or PlayStation 5. Nintendo’s financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2026, published today, put Switch 2 sell-in at 6.49 million units, down 37.4% from 10.36 million a year earlier.
That half breaks into roughly 3.82 million in the April to June quarter and 2.67 million in the July to September quarter, per Nintendo’s own quarterly chart. Lifetime Switch 2 hardware sell-in now stands at 26.35 million units.
Still ahead of Switch and PS5 on a launch clock
Nintendo had already warned that year two would be slower after last year’s mix of higher pricing and strong day one stock. Even with the drop, Switch 2 remains more than six million units ahead of both the original Switch and PlayStation 5 on a launch-aligned clock, though those older machines were more supply constrained.
Original Switch hardware added 1.27 million units in the same half, down 32.7% year on year, and its lifetime total is now 157.20 million.
Software is doing the heavy lifting
Switch 2 software sales rose 18.8% year on year to 24.49 million units. Highlights include Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream at 8.81 million, Rhythm Heaven Groove at 2.89 million, Splatoon Raiders at 2.42 million, Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave at 1.34 million, Star Fox at 1.17 million, and Mario Kart World adding another 1.78 million.
Original Switch software also rose, up 6.8% to 65.73 million units. Digital sales across Nintendo’s dedicated platforms climbed 60.5% to 249.6 billion yen and now make up 60.7% of software sales.
Profit up, forecast unchanged
Net sales fell 12.1% to 966.0 billion yen, while operating profit jumped 49.1% to 216.5 billion yen. IP related income rose 87.9%, helped by The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Nintendo left its full year forecast unchanged, including 16.5 million Switch 2 hardware units for the fiscal year ending March 2027.
Our take
A 37% hardware drop sounds harsh until you remember year one was unusually front loaded. Software is still growing, profits are up, and Nintendo did not cut the year end target. The near term calendar is busy too: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is out today, with Pikmin 4 Switch 2 Edition on November 12, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Switch 2 Edition on December 3, and Metroid Ravenous on January 28.
Source: Nintendo Financial Results Explanatory Material, 2nd Quarter of Fiscal Year Ending March 2027 (November 5, 2026). Coverage: VGC.
