Lingering sales of the original Switch might also be contributing to the relatively weak holiday performance for the Switch 2. In the UK, at least, the older console is still selling well enough to buoy Nintendo’s overall holiday hardware sales in the country to 7 percent higher than what the company achieved in 2017.

Nintendo might need another Super Mario Odyssey-sized hit to keep up sales momentum for the Switch 2.

Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo might need another Super Mario Odyssey-sized hit to keep up sales momentum for the Switch 2. Credit: Nintendo

That said, the transition from record-setting launch sales to relatively underwhelming holiday sales is a worrying sign for the Switch 2’s market momentum. A lack of system-selling Switch 2 exclusive games could explain that movement. In 2017, the October launch of Super Mario Odyssey built holiday excitement for the Switch on top of earlier hits like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For the Switch 2, holiday releases like Pokémon Legends Z-A and Metroid Prime 4 don’t seem to have had as much impact as early system sellers like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Thus far, Nintendo’s planned 2026 schedule doesn’t seem primed to offer many big-name exclusive software to turn things around. The year’s first-party lineup is currently anchored by standard sequels for second-tier franchises like Yoshi, Mario Tennis, and Fire Emblem, alongside slightly upgraded “Switch 2 Edition” re-releases of popular Switch games. Aside from Nintendo’s own titles, the planned 2026 release of FromSoft’s Bloodborne-esque Duskbloods as a Switch 2 exclusive could make some fans of the company’s Souls-like games take a second look at the hardware.

Nintendo is likely to announce more Switch 2 exclusives and ports in the coming months, of course. Having a few system-selling blockbusters in that slate could be crucial to propping up the Switch 2’s sales now that pent-up launch-window demand seems largely satiated.