The Nintendo Switch 2 certainly burst onto the scene following its June 2025 debut, establishing itself as a strong follow-up to the legendary original. However, the honeymoon phase appears to have cooled off during the critical holiday window, with new data suggesting the Switch 2’s inaugural Christmas season failed to match the massive uptake of its predecessor.
According to a new report from The Game Business, the hybrid console’s performance in the crucial US market showed a significant dip. Sales between November and December 2025 were reportedly down by around 35% when stacked against the performance of the original Switch during the corresponding holiday period in 2017. This underwhelming domestic result aligns with previous Circana findings that highlighted November 2025 as the worst month for US hardware sales in nearly three decades.
The softer sales trend wasn’t limited to North America. Across the pond, European markets also showed struggles when compared to the 2017 baseline. The UK market saw Switch 2 holiday sales fall 16% versus the original Switch. Furthermore, unit numbers in France for the Switch 2’s inaugural year are reportedly more than 30% lower than the stellar figures the original achieved during its first 12 months. While the Switch 2 remains a clear hit, these comparative figures illustrate that recapturing the unique momentum of the original Switch’s launch era is proving challenging.