Switch 2 Third-Party Performance: A Mixed Bag

The Nintendo Switch 2 has kicked off with an impressive launch, selling 3.5 million consoles. But aside from playing Mario Kart World, have you picked up many other titles? And how many of those weren't developed by Nintendo?

Analysis of the console's first-week sales data reveals a mixed performance for non-Nintendo software. Of course, Nintendo's own games are typically the main draw for its hardware—around 80 percent of Switch 2 units sold so far were bundled with Mario Kart World.

Beyond that, Nintendo introduced its new system with the bite-sized tech demo and mini-game collection Nintendo Switch 2: Welcome Tour, plus enhanced Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, available as full purchases or upgrades. And, naturally, Switch 1 owners can dive right into their existing game libraries. So it's perhaps not a shock that third-party Switch 2 software hasn't taken the lead.

In the UK, first-party titles accounted for 86% of physical game sales during the Switch 2's launch week, including bundled copies of Mario Kart World, according to NielsenIQ figures reported by The Game Business. This is close to the 89% first-party share seen during the original Switch's first week.

In the US, third-party publishers saw slightly better results, with first-party games making up 62% of Switch 2 physical game sales in the first week, per Circana data. Industry analyst Mat Piscatella notes that during the Switch 1's first month, that figure was above 80%.

The top-selling non-Nintendo game during the Switch 2's debut week was Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt Red. Meanwhile, Sega—which released Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, Sonic x Shadow Generations, and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S—was the platform's third-largest publisher at launch.

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According to The Game Business, one unnamed third-party publisher described their Switch 2 launch sales as "below our lowest estimates," despite the console itself selling strongly. It's a striking statement, but given the dominance of Mario Kart World and the absence of pre-launch reviews for Switch 2 games, it's not entirely unexpected.

Another factor is that the original Switch launched with only five physical games, while the Switch 2 had 13 available—likely spreading buyer interest more thinly.

Ultimately, Piscatella wrote, clear insights into how third-party publishers are performing on Switch 2 will emerge—but it’s still too early for definitive conclusions.

"It's far too early to declare the Switch 2 a runaway success or a letdown in any respect," Piscatella concluded. "Goodness, the system's only been out for less than three weeks."