The Game Business: It was the biggest console launch of all time, but was Nintendo Switch 2 a success for third-parties?

I prefer the success of first party exclusives because that is what Nintendo all about since NEW era. That is there strength not the third party. I hope that was also the case with PS and also Xbox, the strength of exclusives.
 
Skeptical said:
It's almost pointless to base sales trends off physical sales these days. This is especially true with the key cards. I'm not a physical game fanatic like some people are here, but what is the point of them? If I don't plan on selling my games (which I don't), they offer almost no advantages and multiple disadvantages. Might as well just go digital. And given that first week sales are dominated by the "hardcore" crowd, I imagine there is a lot of negative feelings about those cards.

Meanwhile, it seems like Cyberpunk is doing ok. And I think there is evidence that Street Fighter is doing solid numbers as well:
- Between Jan 1 and March 31, SF6 sold ~200k copies to bring it from 4.401 to 4.60 million.
- Between Apr 1 and June 10, SF6 sold at least 400k copies, bringing it to over 5 million sold.
Based on that, and assuming no unlikely spikes in sales on PS5 and Steam, we can assume SF6 on Switch 2 probably sold in the vicinity of 200-300k in its first week. Seems like a pretty decent amount.

I'm curious who the "lower than lowest" publisher is. Konami with Survival Kids? That seemed to be completely ignored. WB with Hogwarts? The super cheap upgrade path from Switch 1 may have played a role, but they would have seen those sales as well. Probably IO with Hitman. Didn't seem to be any buzz around it at all.
Click to expand...
According to the article though, 80% of overall Switch 2 software sales are physical, which makes sense considering over %55 of switch 1 software sales are also physical. People enjoy the plug and play vs install on Nintendo console.

Also with the way negative news spread so vastly about Switch 2 key cards, I can now see those as being a detriment to sales. Even normies who got a Switch 2 avoid them because they simply heard they were bad but don't actually know what they are.

Though going off what games are available, I'm not surprised this is the case. Cyberpunk being the best selling makes sense as it's the game people want to see run and feels like a full game. The rest are ports of games you can already buy, some are even on the Switch. I find it weird for example that Capcom went with SF6 and not RE4 remake or DMC 5 or push for Monster Hunter Wilds or a Switch 2 version of Monster Hunter Rise.
 
Nintendo consoles thrives on first party.

If You Say So Shrug GIF
 
I would've bought Yakuza 0 but they're charging $50 for it!!!!

When Yakuza Kiwami came to Switch last October it was only $20. It was the perfect impulse buy. I'm not paying $50 for such a late port, Sega.
 
Nobody wants game key cards except the publishers and Nintendo. Also, funny that Nintendo are saying game key cards are "a great solution", yet they are not releasing any of THIER games on game key cards, so they know they suck and consumers don't like them.
 
I'd say give it time.
The system just came out with a massive first party exclusive and updates to a bunch of existing games. I imagine a majority of people buying a Switch 2 at launch are doing so to play new and/or updated Nintendo games, not overpriced ports of old games. No one is dropping $500 on a new console and then going straight to playing Yakuza 0 and Bravely Default.

Once more people get the console and more people have spent time with Mario Kart World I'm sure they'll look towards other stuff to play.
 
Last edited:
This is why I don't think Nintendo's support will be great with the switch 2 for third party. Especially when you can play the best versions on PC and PS5. Switch 2 better have some amazing first party exclusives. Because more powerful PC handhelds will drop to be handle third party games better than the switch can.
 
Thick Thighs Save Lives said:
Speaking of that, I saw this tweet from a publisher of physical games a few hours ago. If you have a Twitter account, make sure to let the publisher know that you want full physical releases on cartridge and not just game key card releases.

Click to expand...

The difference between a Game Key Card and a proper cart is 30 euros ?

Yeah right.
 
cireza said:
The difference between a Game Key Card and a proper cart is 30 euros ?

Yeah right.
Click to expand...

We've heard estimates of around $20 for the 64GB carts. jshackles jshackles listed an estimate of $17 and I seem to recall reading $24 (I don't recall where) so it does seem pricey. We've also heard rumors that was the only cart size available to publishers.
 
Thick Thighs Save Lives said:

What are the numbers?
  • 62% of Switch 2 physical game sales in the US (launch week) were from first-party games, excluding the Mario Kart World Bundle (Circana)

Around 80% of all Switch 2 console sales were of the Mario Kart World bundle, and we would expect some of the remaining 20% also picked up Mario Kart World.
Click to expand...
62% bought 1st party Switch 2 games, Mario Kart World bundle not counted, and 80% bought the Mario Kart World bundle.

What 1st party game was there besides Mario Kart World ?
 
Baemono said:
He tries to fit his narrative that only childish games sell on the Switch. His narrative fells appart when considering Cyberpunk sold extremely well, so he adedd it anyway
Click to expand...
I think the issue with "adult games" on the Switch is most of them are day 100 ports.

Like you can find Cyberpunk 2077 for less than half and play it on a ton of systems (was even on Stadia at some point iirc!).
 
Why get 3rd party's on it when, with the old games they are releasing, you could save money by picking up a proper home console and buying the old games for it really cheap. You'd save money over all if you wanted a few 3rd party games and also have yourself access to another consoles library and the games won't be barely 30fps and 720p dog shit.
 
Jinzo Prime said:
And Sonic Crossworlds is going to make bank on Switch 2. Sega is going to bring everything they make to it.
Click to expand...
Not when Mario Kart World is out there hoovering up all the Karting audience.

I think the splits for that title will be better on the other platforms due to less kart game competition.
 
To be at all interested in 3rd party NSW2 physical releases, a person likely needs all of this criteria met:

  • Have not already played the game on another platform
  • Willing to make visual/performance sacrifices
  • Interested in owning a physical copy rather than digital
  • Fine with buying a game key card (mostly)
  • Willing to pay full price
  • Choosing this over the abundant amount of other gaming options, including Nintendo first party

I am shocked 3rd parties did as well as they have, there's near zero appeal I can see, just new players or Switch-only players who do not have access to another platform. We already see diminished sales for day-late dollar-short PC ports. Even if Cyberpunk is good and comes complete on the cart, how many will realistically pay $70 to buy a day 1 release of a 5 year old game?
 
This whole "Nintendo is only for Nintendo games" narrative needs to be retired already. It's a tired trope that's been around since the GameCube era—and surprise, it didn't come from nowhere. It was a strategic smear pushed hard by Nintendo's competitors in the 2000s, amplified by certain parts of the gaming media, and repeated endlessly by fanboys who need to justify their brand loyalty. The idea that Nintendo is "just for kids" or "only about Mario and Zelda" has been weaponized for years to paint the platform as lesser or niche—when in reality, it's one of the most consistently innovative ecosystems in gaming. That narrative worked back then because third-party support was limited. But things have changed.

With Switch 2, third-party publishers like CD Projekt, Sega, Capcom, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and more are clearly showing up. Cyberpunk 2077 is already the best-selling third-party game on the system's launch, and that's with zero pre-launch media coverage, no early reviews, and still no massive digital push. And let's not ignore that 80% of consoles sold were part of a Mario Kart bundle—of course first-party numbers were going to be dominant out the gate. The irony is: if Sony or Microsoft launched a console with that kind of performance, with that many third-party games available at launch, the media would be calling it a triumph of ecosystem support. But when it's Nintendo? Suddenly, the numbers get spun as "proof" that only Nintendo games sell. Convenient, huh?

Also, most of these third-party titles were ports—old games, some of which require those annoying download key cards that Switch players generally dislike. Even so, Cyberpunk sold well because it respected the plug-and-play nature of the platform. Let's be real—this isn't about what gamers actually want. It's about keeping a tired industry narrative alive that benefits certain companies and certain types of gamers. But slowly and surely, that narrative is breaking down. Nintendo isn't just building consoles for its own IP anymore—it's building platforms where other publishers can shine too… if they actually put in the effort and respect the audience.
 
Is anyone seriously expecting Switch 2 to become the go to system for third party games? Nintendo designs and heavily markets their consoles around their first party games. As a result, people buy Nintendo consoles pretty much just to play Nintendo games.

Even if there are a lot of people who haven't played the likes of Cyberpunk or Elden Ring, they are more likely to go buy them cheaper on PS5 or PC, where they get much better performance as well and a substantially larger player base for multiplayer games.
 
bender said:
We've heard estimates of around $20 for the 64GB carts. jshackles jshackles listed an estimate of $17 and I seem to recall reading $24 (I don't recall where) so it does seem pricey. We've also heard rumors that was the only cart size available to publishers.
Click to expand...
Ok but there is no reason for them to make us pay more than the exact difference.
 
Most people aren't buying for 3rd party that's true, but Switch 1 had a metric shit ton of 3rd party sales. You just need the right software. Dumping a bunch of old ports on the system and expecting everyone to eat it up ain't it. Switch 1 games that I bought are mostly jrpgs, srpgs, indies, metroidvanias, and Nintendo games. That is what will find legs on a portable system like this. Multisystem owners are aware that their main system will play these games better, so you need to have a reason to buy on Switch 2. Usually those reasons are low technical demand and the need for portability. Grindy text heavy low graphics JRPGs are better portable. The only 3rd party I care about so far on Switch 2 is bravely default flying fairy hd, and that has had no hype and no review pop.

It got an 85 on meta and is a great game

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster Reviews

Follow four Warriors of Light on a journey to restore the elemental crystals in the HD remaster of the Nintendo 3DS RPG masterpiece, BRAVELY DEFAULT. Experience an RPG that brings new depth to classic, turn-based battles with the introduction of the “Brave & Default” system – featuring an array...
www.metacritic.com www.metacritic.com

However, it got lost in shuffle of Switch 2 launch and no reviews. I bet this is the game that had the quote about lower than our lowest expectations. They made something great but didn't and probably couldn't advertise it properly. This would have sold more if it came after launch and had a proper marketing campaign. However, it is also a remake of a classic and not a new game.
 
Last edited:
Sephiran said:
It will only get lower from third parties. They will have an harder time to sell old ports during the Switch 2 era, because they are not facing an emptly slate like during the early Switch era but are competing with all the output the Switch era had.
Click to expand...
Nah, if you put out a great game, price it correctly and DON'T make it a key-card it has every right to sell extremely well.

That's the same as saying 3rd parties won't sell on PS5, during launch, because it has BC to PS4 games (which, btw were largely still being produced for 1st party releases). That never happened.
 
Last edited:
Baemono said:
He tries to fit his narrative that only childish games sell on the Switch. His narrative fells appart when considering Cyberpunk sold extremely well, so he adedd it anyway
Click to expand...
I swear those people got stuck in the nineties or late 2000s... Since the Switch 1, Nintendo has focused its marketing to young adults instead and it worked amazingly well for them, so many people of all ages used Switch as their main consoles that when someone says "Nintendo is a secondary console" these days I tend to roll eyes, and I use it myself that way but I've met enough people IRL that only care about Switch that ended up changing my mind, you just have to see it, Switch brand these days is way beyond Nintendo brand in the past days.

I think it was CDPR who said but Nintendo audience has changed, Switch 2 sales reflect that, but the GKC thing seem to bother many early adopters since many dedicated gamers are still attached to physical media so I can see that affecting games coming in GKC in the launch window.
 
There isn't a killer app for third party is there? It's all old games people would've played by now OR would be a vastly inferior version technically.

Whenever I get mine I plan on by end of year owning, playing, already own etc:
Zelda totk
Xeno 1-3
MPR
Dread
MP4
MK World
Mario Odyssey
DK Bananza
DK TF

See the pattern? It's all Nintendo lol. Why would you own this thing for anything else?
 
Sephiran said:
These are probably the games that underperformed according to publishers:
1: Yakuza 0.
2: Street Fighter 6.
3: Split Fiction.
4: Bravely Default HD.
5: Hitman.

And the games that performed well from publishers point of view:
1: Cyberpunk.
2: No Man's Sky Switch 2 upgrade.
3: Fantasy Life Switch 2 upgrade.
4: Guardians of Azuma (Decently high on the Switch 2 eshop in Japan).
5: Deltarune.
Click to expand...
Yakuza 0 is a ten year old game.... is it that much of a surprise if it has no juice?

The others, yea I'd expect more from, especially since Nintendo didn't come out guns blazing exactly. But I didn't see much hype for those outside of an obnoxious thread where DF was spouting BS about SF6. I didn't even know BD HD was a thing until like 2 days ago lmao.

Dacvak said:
Here's one thing I want folks to consider about the Game Key Card controversy:

I've worked in indie publishing for the Switch 1, and because of those game cards, the minimum order for physical is pretty high. The cost per unit is also much, much higher than disc-based games. We've had indie releases that never recouped our costs due to these factors, and that ended up influencing the number of games we were able to release physically.

While not a perfect system, the Key Cards aim to help solve this problem. While I don't know Nintendo's minimums this time around yet, I'd assume they're the same or lower, while the cost per key card is drastically lower than a full-fat game card. That's the compromise here, is that the Key Cards will allow for more smaller-quantity releases with larger margins for publishers.

This is a great thing when the choice is between releasing a "physical" key card game versus a digital-only game. The key card allows for resale, and physical borrowing. It's similar to many PS5 games that require a download before launching.

The huge downside is that I feel that publishers will abuse Key Cards. There's no reason why a major release should ever be on a Key Card, and I'm worried that publishers will see the cost differential and decide to take the cheapest path forward, even if they are already meeting minimum quantities.

But the point I'm trying to make is that the Key Cards actually do solve an existing problem, and will enable small publishers to release their games on store shelves, and allow their games to be resold. It's great to have that option. I just hope there's something in place to prevent publishers from abusing the system.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this post. People don't realize the overhead that comes with physical carts. It's long forgotten in this industry because 70%+ of sales have been digital for a while. The problem you mention about indie releases was quite commmon on 16-bit and a reason why people were so eager to switch to discs. Games cost almost nothing to make but publishers had to commit to huge upfront costs on inventory. There's a reason why these boutique shops always do preorders.

But then you have someone like NISA doing pre-orders on game key cards... it doesn't make sense. They should be doing preorders on actual carts then sell key cards as regular. I'm ok with key cards but you have to know your audience here. A dork who would spend $100 on a limited edition physical game is not going to want key cards. They cry when they have to download DLC to their physical.
 
Last edited:
DiscoDave said:
Why get 3rd party's on it when, with the old games they are releasing, you could save money by picking up a proper home console and buying the old games for it really cheap. You'd save money over all if you wanted a few 3rd party games and also have yourself access to another consoles library and the games won't be barely 30fps and 720p dog shit.
Click to expand...

This third party games unless it's exclusive like duskbloods are a waste on switch when there's more powerful hardware and cheaper ways they can be played on.
 
Sephiran said:
These are probably the games that underperformed according to publishers:
1: Yakuza 0.
2: Street Fighter 6.
3: Split Fiction.
4: Bravely Default HD.
5: Hitman.

And the games that performed well from publishers point of view:
1: Cyberpunk.
2: No Man's Sky Switch 2 upgrade.
3: Fantasy Life Switch 2 upgrade.
4: Guardians of Azuma (Decently high on the Switch 2 eshop in Japan).
5: Deltarune.
Click to expand...
I personally think It's hitman, looking at Amazon U.S all the games above it are at 1000+ for the month with cyber punk being at 6k + while hot man says 200
 
kpopSuperstar said:
We already played yakuza 0 and whatever third party they slapped on it. People are willing to buy third party but its gotta be new.
Click to expand...

Certainly a problem with most of the launch third party titles as they've been available on other platforms, a lot of them including the original Switch.
 
LOL using percents comparing to first party? That means nothing. compare over all 3rd party game sells to other console launches.
 
Last edited:
Well considering many people couldn't' get one and still can't (grumble grumble) I am sure the player base isn't that high except for die-hards or people who have no job/no life.

That and high game prices.

If was lucky enough to score one, I would of bought Braverly Default 1 remaster, for $40....

Hopefully Square gets the hint and releases a perfectly doable game on the switch 1.
 
Consumers don't want game cards because they don't have the game inside. But devs don't want to use real physical cards because they are expensive (around $16 per unit)

What will happen?
 
what about this though?

NEW1Mario Kart World
12Hogwarts LegacySwitch 39%, PS5 21%, Switch 2 19%, PS4 18%
23EA Sports FC 25Switch 34%, PS5 28%, PS4 25%, Xbox 13%
-4Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate EditionSwitch 2 94%, PS5 5%, Xbox 1%, PC 0%
-5The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomSwitch 2 85%, Switch 15%
-6Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters EditionSwitch 2 98%, PS5 1%, PS4 0%
-7The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildSwitch 2 85%, Switch 15%
-8Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster
69The Last of Us Part II: Remastered


D

Thread 'UK software sales chart for the week ending June 7, 2025 (First Switch 2 SW sales)'

The latest UK software sales chart for the week ending June 7, 2025 is now available.

With Nintendo Switch 2 finally launching, the first games for the system are now appearing. Mario Kart World takes the top spot immediately at #1. Other titles in the top ten include Cyberpunk 2077, Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Street Fighter 6, and Bravely Default. A few other are scattered throughout as well.
Click to expand...

Here's the full UK software sales chart for the week ending June 7, 2025:

Last WeekThis WeekGamePlatform Split
...
  • Fire
  • Like
 
Last edited:
Dacvak said:
Here's one thing I want folks to consider about the Game Key Card controversy:

I've worked in indie publishing for the Switch 1, and because of those game cards, the minimum order for physical is pretty high. The cost per unit is also much, much higher than disc-based games. We've had indie releases that never recouped our costs due to these factors, and that ended up influencing the number of games we were able to release physically.
Click to expand...

Why not go directly to a code in a box?
 
Warspite said:
Why not go directly to a code in a box?
Click to expand...
You can't resell a code. Plus, it's so much easier to just insert a cart than to type out a 16-digit code. And the key card isn't tied to your account.

For example, my cereal friend is gonna let me borrow Kunitsu-Gami when he's done with it. Can't do that with a code.
 
Dacvak said:
You can't resell a code. Plus, it's so much easier to just insert a cart than to type out a 16-digit code. And the key card isn't tied to your account.

For example, my cereal friend is gonna let me borrow Kunitsu-Gami when he's done with it. Can't do that with a code.
Click to expand...

Apologies you were talking about cost to indie developers during the Switch 1 days. For indie developers perspective to save on costs I was wondering why not go for the code in a box as they have been on the Switch 1 for years.
 
Warspite said:
Apologies you were talking about cost to indie developers during the Switch 1 days. For indie developers perspective to save on costs I was wondering why not go for the code in a box as they have been on the Switch 1 for years.
Click to expand...
Ah, gotcha. I can't speak for other publishers, but we didn't like the code in a box solution. Mainly because most consumers didn't like it, and sales in that format were pretty poor. Resalability and physicality (of some kind) is important to people. That's why I don't mind the compromise of key cards.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

The Game Business: Switch 2 is Nintendo's biggest UK launch, but doesn't surpass PS5 or Xbox Series
Sales-Age  2 3
113
446
Hyet replied
  • Poll
How do you feel about the success of the Nintendo Switch 2 Launch?
3 4 5 6 7
328
673
cireza replied
  • Poll
third parties games you getting for switch 2??
Poll  2
73
562
EDMIX replied
  • Locked
Switch 2 has the biggest console launch in France ever! Almost double that of the PS5
Sales-Age 
8
151
Sephiran replied
  • Poll
Are Nintendo preventing third parties from announcing Switch 2 games?
2 3
102
4K
RetroGamingUK replied
Top Bottom