Switch 2 sales fell ahead of planned September hike

Nintendo said on August 6 that Switch 2 hardware sales fell 34.4% in its fiscal first quarter to 3.82 million units, even as the company posted revenue and profit above analyst estimates and kept its full-year forecast unchanged. The Japanese gaming company reported revenue of 517.8 billion yen for the quarter ended June 30, above an LSEG estimate of 444.96 billion yen, while net profit came in at 147.4 billion yen versus an estimate of 78.30 billion yen. Nintendo’s latest figures put cumulative Switch 2 sales at 23.68 million units as of June 30, according to its investor materials and company sales data summaries published Thursday. The sales slowdown comes before a previously announced U.S. price increase that will lift the console’s suggested retail price to $499.99 from $449.99 on September 1. (cnbc.com) ### How far did Switch 2 sales fall in the quarter? Nintendo said Switch 2 hardware sales dropped to 3.82 million units in the April-to-June quarter from the comparable period a year earlier. CNBC, citing the company’s earnings release, reported the decline at 34.4%, while sales of the original Switch fell 31.8% to 0.66 million units. (nintendoeverything.com) Engadget reported Thursday that the drop was significant ahead of the planned September U.S. price increase. The outlet said Nintendo was not yet expressing concern about the decline and pointed to the company’s own disclosures showing continued adoption of the system. ### What did Nintendo say about demand? (cnbc.com) Nintendo said consumers “continued to adopt the Switch 2” despite lower hardware sales than the year-earlier period, supported by new game releases and other factors. The company also said in Japan, where it raised Switch 2 prices on May 25, hardware sell-through had remained solid. (engadget.com) The company maintained its forecast for the year ending March 2027, keeping its net sales outlook at 2.05 trillion yen. That left its annual guidance unchanged even after the first-quarter hardware decline. ### Why is the U.S. price going up in September? Nintendo of America said on May 7 that it would revise the U.S. (cnbc.com) MSRP for the Switch 2 system to $499.99 from $449.99 beginning September 1, 2026. The company said the increase was “in response to various changes in market conditions,” and said pricing for the original Switch would not change. CNBC reported Nintendo has factored nearly 100 billion yen of impact from higher component prices, particularly memory, and tariffs into cost of sales. The same report said the Switch 2 uses memory chips whose prices have risen amid strong AI-related demand. ### Which games were helping offset the hardware slowdown? (nintendo.com) Nintendo said software sales were supported by Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, which sold 7.94 million units, and Pokémon Pokopia, which sold 1.27 million units. The company said releasing new titles at regular intervals was important to expanding the Switch 2 installed base and broadening the console’s appeal. (cnbc.com) Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2 is scheduled to arrive on October 27, according to Microsoft’s official announcement cited in Nintendo-focused coverage this week. Nintendo has also published its Gamescom 2026 lineup, where Switch 2 titles are due to be shown later this month. (cnbc.com) ### What happens next for buyers and investors? September 1, 2026 is the next concrete date for U.S. buyers, when Nintendo of America’s higher $499.99 Switch 2 price takes effect. For investors, Nintendo’s August 6 earnings release for the three months ended June 30 is the company’s latest formal sales update, and the next quarterly results will show how demand held up after the price change. (nintendoeverything.com) (nintendo.com)