Nintendo introduced this morning that they’ve offered practically 24 million Nintendo Change 2 consoles, outpacing its predecessor. Nonetheless, that got here with a caveat: Change 2 gross sales fell 34.4% year-to-year.
This comes forward of its value hike on September 1st, 2026, elevating the price of the console from $450 to $500. That value hike is 2 weeks earlier than the discharge of one in all their main 2026 video games as effectively, in Fireplace Emblem: Fortune’s Weave.
Regardless of the drop in gross sales, Nintendo doesn’t appear too involved. In an earnings presentation, they mentioned regardless of the decline in gross sales, “many customers proceed to undertake the system, inspired by the discharge of latest titles and different elements.”
It’s that final level that almost all actually rings true, particularly in comparison with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Sequence X|S. Nintendo has supported the Change 2 with a gradual launch of first-party titles over the previous year-plus, headlined by Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza final yr. They’ve since supplemented that launch window with notable first-party video games reminiscent of Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4, Tomodachi Life: Residing the Dream, and Pokémon Pokopia.
Tomodachi Life: Residing the Dream Has Been A Runaway Business Success
Talking of Tomodachi Life, Nintendo confirmed that the sequel to the Nintendo 3DS cult basic has exceeded 8 million copies offered, with 7.94 million being within the Q1 27 fiscal quarter. For comparability’s sake, Pokémon Pokopia, broadly considered one of many higher Pokémon video games in current historical past, has “solely” offered 1.27 million copies in the identical time interval.
The success of Tomodachi Life and Pokémon Pokopia has helped Nintendo Change 2 software program gross sales improve by 9.2% year-to-year, with Nintendo Change software program growing 38.6% year-to-year. One cause for Tomodachi Life’s success, in addition to the large improve in Change software program, is that Residing the Dream will not be unique to the Change 2.
Nintendo launched a number of video games over the previous 12 months, notably Tomodachi Life and Metroid Prime 4, that have been nonetheless playable on the unique Change {hardware}. Shifting ahead, nevertheless, it’s unclear if this technique will change. Their earnings report highlights not only in the near past launched first-party Change 2 video games, reminiscent of Star Fox, Splatoon Raiders, and Yoshi and the Mysterious E-book, however the upcoming line-up of Change 2 unique video games as effectively, with no point out of any authentic Change help.
Nintendo states that they really feel like “releasing new titles at common intervals is essential for constructing a basis on which to increase our {hardware} put in base.” Given the truth that one of many main points with the rollouts of the Xbox Sequence X|S and PlayStation 5 was an absence of true exclusives (you can nonetheless play loads of video games on the Xbox One and PS4), it looks as if Nintendo is doing what they’ll to bolster help for the Change 2, making it the system of selection for the long run in comparison with its predecessor.
The Prime Promoting Change 2 Video games So Far
Unsurprisingly, Mario Kart World stays the top-selling Nintendo Change 2 sport, now totaling 15.39 million copies offered as of June thirtieth, 2026. This traces up with what occurred on the unique Change; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains to be the best-selling sport on the system with 71.53 million copies offered, a strong 20 million copies forward of Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Issues begin to get attention-grabbing, nevertheless, as you head additional down the record:
- Donkey Kong Bananza – 4.78 million copies
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Change 2 Version – 3.99 million copies
- Pokémon Pokopia – 3.68 million copies
- Kirby Air Riders – 1.90 million copies
- Tremendous Mario Get together Jamboree – Nintendo Change 2 Version – 1.15 million copies
There are two huge takeaways right here. First is the truth that Pokémon Legends offered fairly effectively on Nintendo Change 2 regardless of additionally being accessible on the unique Nintendo Change. Second is the truth that Metroid Prime 4: Past, Nintendo’s marquee vacation launch final yr, will not be on this record.
Their different vacation 2026 launch, Kirby Air Riders, is, nevertheless it was broadly anticipated to be a extra area of interest sport given the truth that it’s a sequel to the GameCube cult basic. Then once more, It’s from Masahiro Sakurai, so possibly we must always have recognized it could have been a significant hit.
Don’t be stunned to see the upcoming Ocarina of Time Remake on this record come subsequent yr.
