The Nintendo Switch 2 was always going to sell faster than the Wii U. But it's truly amazing that Nintendo's latest console has already outsold the console we'd all rather forget in just six months in the UK.
As for Nintendo's global sales, we'll have to wait for its quarterly financial results. Christopher Dring provided a mid-quarter update with data shared by NielsenIQ revealing that the Switch 2 has outsold the Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation Vita in the UK, as well as the Nintendo console that launched two generations ago.
I think the Wii U is the granddaddy of the Switch 2.
Quickly overtaking the Wii U, the Switch 2 is more impressive than it looks.
You might look at the console lineup and shrug at the news that the Switch 2 has surpassed lifetime UK sales. The Wii U was a huge failure for Nintendo, the PS Vita wasn't as big of a hit as the PSP and put an end to PlayStation's second generation of portable adventures (for now), and the Dreamcast sold so poorly that it forced Sega to get out of hardware gaming entirely.
Despite all three being examples of the low points from their respective console creators, they are still major consoles that have been on the market for years. Months passed and none of them were taken off store shelves. they were all that It was each creator's primary console at the time. So it's great that the Switch 2 is selling and selling more devices in half a year than it achieved in its entire lifespan in a market as important as the UK.
Dring didn't share exact sales figures, but did note that the Switch 2 sold “way more” than 600,000 consoles in the UK. As for worldwide sales, sorry Sega fans. However, the company's final console was left behind by the Switch 2 some time ago. According to Nintendo's latest figures, more than 10 million Switch 2 units were sold by the end of November. The Dreamcast ended with just 9.14 million units.
The Switch 2 probably outsold the Wii U even globally.
It's also likely that the Switch 2 will outsell the Wii U and PS Vita globally, although we won't know for sure until next year. Before Nintendo rushed out the Switch to change the course of history, the Wii U sold 13.56 million units, while Vita sales are estimated at between 10 and 15 million units.
The gaming world now sees Nintendo as an unstoppable behemoth. Between the success of the Switch, a sequel series selling tens of millions of copies, and the same series turning into a multi-billion dollar movie. It's hard to remember that less than a decade ago, the Wii U put Nintendo in the gutter. Selling more Switch 2s in six months would help Nintendo move further away from those dark days.
- brand
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nintendo
- original release date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- operating system
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ownership
- solve
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1080p (portable) / 4K (docked)
- HDR support
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yes
