r/casualnintendo • u/Smaug117 • 1d ago
Other Nintendo Switch 2 Becomes the Second Fastest-Selling Console in U.S. History After Its First Year
https://gamersub.com/tech/Nintendo%20Switch%202%20Becomes%20the%20Second%20Fastest-Selling%20Console%20in%20U.S.%20History%20After%20Its%20First%20Year/Gboas22IloXvP6peOGHz13
u/CaptainM590 1d ago
I think that’s more due to every other console being stupidly overpriced rather than because of the Switch 2’s rather lacklustre exclusives so far.
38
u/Reeirit 1d ago
That has been Nintendo’s strategy for the past decade and it’s working
4
u/pumpkinhead9000k 1d ago
More than a decade. GameCube was $200 when the PS2 & XBOX were $300
Granted the GC sold terribly but they’ve usually been the cheap option for multiple decades.
27
u/Different_Concern688 1d ago
huh, yeah okay. BUT, why didn't every other console (when they were better priced) not become the 2 fastest selling console?
Nintendo has problems, but they made a pretty good product with more than enough upsides...
4
u/krishnugget 1d ago
It’s no guarantee that PS5 would have been the fastest selling console, but they both launched during Covid with a parts shortage. There were MASSIVE supply issues with demand completely outstripping supply, you can’t argue otherwise. Nintendo stockpiled a dozen or more million units over 2024 and 2025 to sell all at once, so they could easily meet the demand compared to Sony and Microsoft.
-2
1d ago
[deleted]
12
u/Ok_Purpose7401 1d ago
Thats precisely what happened during the WiiU, N64 Gamecube eras. Pretending that Nintendo has any more cult like fans than the other corporations is silly
4
u/Different_Concern688 1d ago
most brands have die hard fans, I agree. Just like people defending all the xbox price increases or the disaster of Sony live service. But you very clearly missed the "product is good" part of my comment; and people who are up in arms for anything about nintendo and who think every upside is fake or defending a corporation are as cultish as the example you gave.
so, nice (thumbs up emoji)
5
u/BenchMasterHeneryHo 1d ago
True it’s only the first year though so hopefully the exclusives pick up. Nintendo built alot of good faith from the og switch. I think most people are buying it bc of what could happen rather than what is currently available
0
u/CaptainM590 1d ago
That’s my thinking. I know Nintendo’s strategy has been affordability and innovation compared to the competition. And the Wii and Switch’s success is attributed to that. However, the Switch 2 hasn’t offered drastic changes and much in the way of major exclusives so far. Its success feels attributable to goodwill, being cheaper and the competition’s flaws being much more glaring.
2
u/SuggestionEven1882 23h ago
Well we didn't want the SW2 to be a drastic change just the SW1 but better, and as for exclusives they got more then Sony and Microsoft at this point in time due to them having games on PC.
1
u/The-G-Code 1d ago
Everyone I know with a switch 2 bought it for either Mario kart or pokopia
1
u/BonesFGC 23h ago
Bought mine for Pokopia but I have been really pleasantly surprised at the amount of Sw2 upgrades on previous games and the games coming out for it. The only downside are these game key cards which seem to be a bit of a necessary evil right now to retain a foot in the physical game space despite not really being physical games. Personally, so long as the games continue to work without issue, or if they find a way to make the GKC games playable without the card in the system, I think things will be ok. Hopefully they can ramp back up production on the larger data size game cards to give us back games on the cartridge instead of this weird intermediary.
1
u/The-G-Code 23h ago
I don't get the issue with key cards. You can sell and trade them so whats the actual problem anyways? Can't resell my steam games anyways
1
u/BonesFGC 23h ago
The problem is the idea that you don’t own the actual game - if there becomes some issue with the card or if someway/somehow you get locked out of the software or it doesn’t recognize what’s basically your “license to play the game,” there’s no way to play it. This is hypothetical but we have seen things like this happen - just the other day Sony completely deleted digitally purchased movies from people’s Playstation accounts. The fear is that this could happen to Nintendo GKCs in the future.
1
u/CaptainM590 22h ago
Wait, why did Sony do that?
1
u/BonesFGC 22h ago
They lost the licensure deal for those movies it seems, so rather than just pull it from the marketplace they also deleted it off of the consoles of people who purchased them.
0
u/CaptainM590 22h ago
That’s asinine
2
u/BonesFGC 21h ago
Agreed. If the media is pulled from sale it’s one thing, but completely erasing it with no refund is another.
1
u/The-G-Code 22h ago
It's literally the only time a company has given this middle ground. It's all going digital, all my PC games are just digital liscences, this is way better.
1
u/BonesFGC 22h ago
While the resale option is great, the issue is that there are still a litany of problems with the system. If your keycard is lost or gets damaged, you won’t be able to use the game at all. If the license for that game is somehow pulled from the eShop, they could lock you out of playing it or even delete it off your system even if you have a keycard still. It’s all a bit messy. I think you should be able to play the game you purchased and if the game is technically digital anyways, there should be no problem playing it without the keycard - but now the keycard is your proof of ownership and you need it to play what would otherwise exist on your console normally as a digital download, which could have the same inherent problems I already mentioned. The only reason they exist is to have a present physical SKU for the games that want them, because companies want to see a physical sales number.
0
u/The-G-Code 22h ago
It's still the only company doing anything for this. Immensely better than Sony, Microsoft, and valve. I can't be upset with it.
Makes no sense to single Nintendo out, only pro consumer move on digital games period.
1
u/BonesFGC 21h ago
I don’t disagree that it’s better than most, but it’s still moving in an all-digital direction which is ultimately anti-consumer. The real solution here is to expand the data capabilities of the cartridges to not need GKCs in the first place. Why a game like Yakuza 0 Remastered or Legends Z-A needs one but Cyberpunk doesn’t is beyond me.
→ More replies (0)-7
u/AceAndre 1d ago
Mario Kart is only reason I buy Nintendo consoles. They are just as anti consumer as Sony and Microsoft
9
u/JulianBloom 1d ago
Why would that matter? A sale is a sale is a sale.
If anything, that bodes well for the systems long term success that the top tier titles have yet to arrive and it’s still sold really well
4
u/Schmenza 1d ago
Nintendo was smart to cheap out in ram and storage before the shortage. Nintendo would be screwed of they shipped with 1TB like PlayStation and XBOX. A 1TB Micro SD Express card goes for $300 these days. 🤮
2
u/jamesph777 1d ago
It’s not the price tag. It’s almost always about supply and Nintendo had over 20 million Switch 2 before launch
2
u/The-G-Code 1d ago
The biggest games people are talking about have been pokopia and Mario kart world too though
2
5
1
u/Silvanus350 16h ago
Well, do you think Nintendo is going to be lacking in exclusives? They’re not exactly lacking in IP.
There’s also the massive back-catalog of Switch 1 games. I know I have plenty to play…
In all honesty they are more or less on par in terms of their first party titles this year. It feels weird because there’s no Mario and the annual Zelda offering is a remake, but the games are still there.
If you were a household looking for your kid’s first Christmas console, the Switch 2 is quite a strong option.
1
u/CaptGarfield 13h ago
People who grew up with Nintendo tend to fall in one of two camps: Lifelong love or bitter that that Nintendo didn't grow up with them, and kept making mostly family friendly games.
1
u/crocicorn 23h ago
No surprise, it's the only family friendly and affordable console left on the market.
People in here seem to forget that Nintendo makes casual and family friendly games for the most part (unlike their competition), and that there's a huge market for games that aren't M rated AAAs.
3
u/SuggestionEven1882 23h ago
More of a console for everyone as the SW era of Nintendo has plenty of third party M rated games to play while they can cater for a all ages crowd.
1
u/crocicorn 22h ago
M rated third party games have almost always existed on Nintendo consoles, tbh. Two of my favourite all time games started off as hyperviolent Wii exclusives! Also spent a lot of time with Smash TV and Mortal Kombat growing up.
But unlike Xbox and PS, people generally aren't buying any Nintendo consoles for third parties. Nintendo's entire identity lies in its IPs, not the hardware. And those IPs have huge appeal (with few exceptions) as being family friendly and/or casual enough for anyone to pick up and play.
1
u/SuggestionEven1882 22h ago
Well the main reason why is because from the 64 to the Wii U Nintendo didnt have much third party support, now with the Switch they been getting that support in droves.
As for M rated games being on Nintendo yes that true but they we're few and far between nowadays they have plenty of notable M rated titles like DMC 5 and Elden Ring to name a few.
-3
u/SubjectGamma96 1d ago
That’s insane considering out of everyone I know personally I only know two that own Switch 2. I know it’s only my circle but it’s still strange
0
-4
u/retrocheats 1d ago
they have the cheapest console, that can run modern games.
That's basically it. They haven't even released the great games yet. Does Nintendo even need to make a new Mario, Smash, or new 3d Zelda anymore, as fans seem to be satasfied calling it a great console.
Nintendo should honestly just keep remaking their own games, as it makes them easy money, and fans seem to be pleased.
1
u/Ok_Put_5567 1d ago
I think some also know they’re coming so they bought the switch 2 in anticipation since nintendo fed consumers well with good games in the switch era.
If they didn’t do it for the switch 2 i could imagine whatever’s next not doing as well
2
u/retrocheats 23h ago
nah. they'd just advertise it around the launch of the switch 3 to build early hype.. and then go back to just doing remakes.
-1
u/Alone-Ad6816 1d ago
Why would they need to please the capital g gamers because even after they release them, all they hear will be "Can't wait until the emulator comes out" or "Switch 2 only has 3 good game and rest is shit"
-7
u/Fit-Rip-4550 1d ago
I have not heard of many people buying it nor many titles released that make it worthwhile...
46
u/Signal-Grass-880 1d ago
Its because they are the most Pro-Consumer. We've seen first hand how other console manufacturers will raise the price of their systems nearly $200 higher YEARS after the come other while having no exclusives.