Nintendo has released its latest financial results, and the company has provided an updated list of the best-selling games on the original Switch, as well as Nintendo Switch 2. First-party Nintendo games have always sold very well, and that continues to be the case in the Switch 2 era. The system already has a number of big exclusives, which has helped convince more than 25 million players to upgrade from the original Switch.
The Switch 2 era began with Mario Kart World as the system’s first big exclusive. It made sense for Nintendo to launch the system with a new Mario Kart, since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been the best-selling game on the original Switch. More than a year has passed since Mario Kart World‘s release, but Nintendo continues to update Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. That might seem unusual, but it makes sense given the sheer number of people still buying the Switch 1 game.
The Best-Selling Games on Switch 1 and Switch 2
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Image via Nintendo -
Image via Nintendo -
via Nintendo
Best-Selling Switch 1 Games:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 72 million
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons — 50.63 million
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — 38.50 million
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild — 34.28 million
- Super Mario Odyssey — 31.06 million
- Pokemon Scarlet and Violet — 28.66 million
- Pokemon Sword and Shield — 27.36 million
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — 22.90 million
- Super Mario Party — 21.39 million
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe — 19.22 million
Best-Selling Switch 2 Games:
- Mario Kart World — 16.48 million
- Donkey Kong Bananza — 5.05 million
- Pokemon Legends: Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition — 4.04 million (13.31 million combined with Switch 1)
- Pokemon Pokopia — 4.04 million
- Splatoon Raiders — 2.42 million
- Kirby Air Riders — 1.94 million
- Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave — 1.34 million
- Super Mario Party Jamboree — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition — 1.28 million (12.01 million combined with Switch 1)
- Star Fox — 1.17 million
The Mario Kart series continues its dominance of the sales charts for both the original Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. Nintendo’s updated numbers put Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at 72 million units sold, though that number does not include the 8.46 million copies sold on the Wii U. Mario Kart World also remains the top-selling Switch 2 game by a wide margin, with 16.48 million copies sold. It’s possible that number could grow even higher if Mario Kart World gets a significant DLC update, similar to the Booster Course Pass that was released for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. However, Nintendo has yet to make any kind of official announcement.
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While the top of the Switch 2 list remains largely unchanged, several recent games are off to a strong start for Nintendo. Splatoon Raiders is the first spin-off in the Splatoon series, and it has already sold 2.42 million copies. That should bode well for Splatoon 4, though Nintendo has yet to officially announce the next numbered entry in the series. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave was just released on September 17, and the game has already sold 1.34 million copies. Star Fox is also off to a positive start, with 1.17 million copies sold. Fox McCloud’s role in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie likely helped drive interest from those less familiar with the series.
The Nintendo Switch 2 list should be significantly different when Nintendo shares its next financial update. Pre-sales for Zelda: Ocarina of Time have surpassed expectations, and the game is positioned as the major holiday release for Switch 2. It’s likely that the N64 remake will sell a lot of systems for Nintendo, though it remains to be seen whether the game can unseat Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokemon Pokopia.
Nintendo has started to pull back the curtain on its plans for 2027, and Switch 2 owners should have a lot to look forward to. Major third-party games like Final Fantasy 7 Revelation and Resident Evil: Veronica will be released on Switch 2 on the same day as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. There are also multiple system exclusives on the way, starting with Metroid Ravenous in January. Pokemon Winds and Waves are the games most likely to crash the list of top-sellers when they get released, given how well Pokemon Scarlet and Violet and Sword and Shield continue to sell. A set release date has not been announced, but The Pokemon Company should have more information by the time Pokemon Day comes around on February 27.
