It looks like third-party software sales for the Nintendo Switch 2 are lower than expected.
Mario Kart World came with most consoles and topped early sales charts. Without counting the bundle, first-party games made up about 62–86% of physical sales in the U.S. and UK during launch week, based on Game Business data.
That left very little space for anything else. Third-party games like Yakuza 0: Director’s Cut, Street Fighter 6, and Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 didn’t come close to matching the competition.
As reported by VGC, one publisher even stated that their sales were “below our lowest estimates” despite the strong Switch 2 hardware performance. The sole standout was Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, which sold well due to a handful of key differences.
Why Are Third-Party Games Selling Bad On The Switch 2?
A major problem was that many third-party Switch 2 launch games weren’t fresh releases.
They were ports of older games that had already been discounted and worn out on other platforms. For example, Yakuza 0’s price on Switch 2 was $50 compared to $5 or less on Steam.
Players found it tough to justify paying a premium for games they had played before because of the wide price gap. To make things worse, many of these games weren’t even released on full cartridges.
They shipped as Game-Key Cards instead, which are basically placeholders needing a download to play the game. It’s the worst of both worlds: no collectibles, no ease of use, and no sense of owning anything. No wonder many fans just wouldn’t buy them.
Backward compatibility on the Switch 2 also lets players play previous-gen games, many of which got free performance upgrades at launch, so they had little reason to spend $60–$80 on older games again.
Nintendo’s media approach didn’t help either—they didn’t send out review units before Switch 2 launched, so the press had to rush to cover the console and its games only after release.
Without quick reviews or early buzz, third-party titles flew under the radar. Buyers preferred Nintendo’s tried-and-true games.
Is There Still Hope for Third-Party Games on Switch 2?
Some analysts have argued that this is all part of a normal launch cycle.
At launch, early buyers usually stick to the headline exclusive games before trying others. Over time, third-party games may gain traction, especially if they’re marketed well, priced fairly, and not just ports of older content.
But others see this as a red flag. If publishers keep pushing re-releases and expect Nintendo fans to pay full price for old games without physical extras, they risk losing the goodwill they still have.
Worse yet, they support the view that Nintendo consoles are primarily for Nintendo games, with everything else as filler. The Switch 2 launch showed that Nintendo still dominates console launches but also made clear there’s barely any space for competitors around it.
Most third-party games stumbled out the gate due to high prices, recycled content, unpopular formats like key cards, and a lack of visibility.
For publishers to do well on Switch 2, they have to update their game plan: launch new titles, handle physical copies right, price games fairly, and collaborate with Nintendo to get noticed.
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