Why is no-one buying non-Nintendo Switch 2 games?

The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s fastest-selling console ever, with 3.5 million of the things shifted in the first four days on sale, but things aren’t so rosy for the game-makers.

According to The Game Business, third-party game sales for Nintendo Switch 2 have been poor, and at least in one case way below publisher expectations.

“One third-party publisher characterised the numbers as ‘below our lowest estimates’, despite strong hardware sales,” writes the site.

Those current third-party Switch 2 titles include Civilization VII, Fantasy Life i, Fast Fusion, Hitman - World of Assassination, Hogwarts Legacy, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Split Fiction and others. Cyberpunk 2077 is the best-selling third-party Switch 2 game to date, and its sales have apparently outpaced those of The Witcher 3 on the original Switch. But it sounds like everything else may be struggling.

86% of game sales in the first week were of first-party titles, if the Mario Kart World Switch 2 bundle is included, that figure dropping to 62% in the US if those bundles are discounted (48% in the UK).

Why might there not be much fanfare around Switch 2’s games so far? Our anecdotal experience says just about everyone is playing Mario Kart World. Even the folks who aren’t necessarily die-hard players of the series’s games.

Game prices are rising, the Switch 2 is pricier than its predecessor in the first place. Most of us don't have stacks of spare cash sloshing about either.

And, well, most of the launch day releases aren’t brand new titles. Civilization VII and Split Fiction came out earlier this year for other platforms. Cyberpunk 2077 is a 2020 game, although in fairness to publisher CD Projekt, the Switch 2 release does include the newer Phantom Liberty Expansion.

Even then, though, the all-in-one Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition release has been around since 2023.

Do Nintendo Switch 2 owners need something truly new to get the fires burning?

It’s also worth noting the figures The Game Business cites relate to physical game sales, while some of the Switch 2’s brand new releases, like futuristic racer Fast Fusion, are download only. There's controversy surrounding Switch 2 physical sales too, as many still require the entire game to be downloaded to the console, with the boxed cartridge sold in stores acting only as a 'key' to unlocking said download.

The next big release on the Switch 2 horizon is Donkey Kong Bananza, another Nintendo title, which is out on July 17th. Nintendo's console will also get Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 the same day as PlayStation 5 and co., on July 11th. It may be a bundle pack of remakes, titles originally released well over 20 year ago, but at least the Switch 2 isn’t getting reheated Xbox and PlayStation releases with this long-awaited skateboard title.

• The 10 best Nintendo Switch 2 games