By Sagar V. Mankar 
Nintendo has announced that its Nintendo Switch console has surpassed the 150 million sold milestone worldwide as of December 31, 2024. This accomplishment positions the Switch as Nintendo’s second best-selling console, closely trailing the Nintendo DS, which sold 154 million units. The PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling console of all time, with over 160 million units sold.
The announcement was made during Nintendo’s latest financial results for the third fiscal quarter, spanning from October 1 to December 31, 2024. Here Nintendo reported sales of 4.82 million Switch hardware units and 53.7 million software units. Notably, “Super Mario Party Jamboree” led software sales with 6.17 million units sold, followed by “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” with 5.38 million units and “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” with 3.91 million units. With this total sales of Nintendo software have now reached 1.359 billion units.
Despite these impressive figures, Nintendo acknowledged that both hardware and software sales fell below expectations for the period. Console sales have fallen by 30%, and sales of Switch 1 software have also plunged. While “The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” and “Mario Party Jamboree” are performing well, they are not selling as strongly as “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” and “Super Mario Bros. Wonder,” did in 2023. Therefore, the company has revised its financial forecast for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2025, lowering its operating profit projection by 22.2% to 280 billion yen (approximately $1.8 billion).
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa later addressed investor concerns, emphasizing that anticipated Switch 2 releases aren’t primarily responsible for the current console’s sales decline. As reported by The Sankei Shimbun, Furukawa stated, “We think it’s a solid eighth year, but we haven’t reached our target.”
Furukawa further commented that Nintendo remains committed to the current Switch platform “as long as there is demand,” suggesting gamers can still expect new experiences on the current platform. We can see that with several exciting titles in the pipeline for Switch 1, including:
- Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (March)
- Metroid Prime 4
- Pokémon Legends Z-A
Looking ahead, Nintendo is preparing to launch the Nintendo Switch 2, scheduled for release later in 2025. The company plans to provide more detailed information during a Nintendo Direct presentation on April 2, 2025. To ensure sufficient supply and avoid the shortages experienced during the original Switch’s 2017 launch, Furukawa stated that the company is “taking risks and proceeding with production so that we can meet as much demand as possible.”
Source: Nintendo Financial Results Q3 FY25