Nintendo Switch sales drop as new console rumors ramp up

The Nintendo Switch has established itself as one of the most popular video game consoles of all time, but, following rumors of a new version, its sales are starting to dip.

Since its release back in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has gone on to be the legendary company’s best-selling home console, shipping over 111 million units worldwide.

The Switch is home to a number of incredible exclusives, and with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope on the horizon, there are still plenty of reasons to own one.

However, following reports that a brand-new Nintendo Switch console could drop in the coming months, sales for both hardware and software are in decline.

Nintendo Switch sales down year-on-year

In Q1 of 2022, 3.43 million Nintendo Switch consoles were sold, compared to 4.45 million during the same timeframe in 2021, marking a 22.9% drop.

The story was similar when it comes to games too, as software sales were down 8.6% at 41.41 million copies. This is despite the release of two major exclusives during Q1; Nintendo Switch Sports in April and Mario Strikers: Battle League in June, which sold 4.84 million and 1.91 million units respectively.

In fact, a large portion of software sales came from games released in past fiscal years. Kirby and the Forgotten Land sold a further 1.88 million copies, while 2017’s Mario Kart 8 Deluxe shipped another 1.48 million.

There’s no denying that the Switch has been a huge success for Nintendo, which only sits behind the DS and Game Boy in terms of the company’s all-time console sales. However, it does appear that the current Switch may have had its time in the sun.

It’s no surprise then, that rumors have been swirling that a new model could arrive in 2022, with next-gen devs kits reportedly being sent out already.

Of course, this is just speculation until Nintendo officially confirms that a new Switch is on the way. But with five years having passed since its original release, you get the feeling that a new version will arrive sooner rather than later.