Even $85 Switch 2 controllers just flew off store shelves
New data highlights the scale of Nintendo's massive hardware launch
There are many remarkable numbers that one can look at to measure the success of Nintendo’s recently launched Switch 2.
3.5 million: That’s how many Switch 2sNintendo said it sold worldwide in the system’s first four days of release. Nintendo announced this back on June 10. The system had launched on June 5. The company said Switch 2 was the “fastest-selling Nintendo game system ever.”
1,538,260: That’s the number of Switch 2 systems that Japanese outlet Famitsu says Nintendo sold of the device in that country in its first month of release. As VGC noted, that beat the old record-holder, the Game Boy Advance’s 1,367,433 first-month units
1.6 million: That’s how many Switch 2s sold in the United States in the system’s first month of release, according to a new report issued today by sales-tracking firm Circana. The prior American record was 1.1 million for the PS4’s first month in 2013.
512,000: — I’m going with this one! — That is an estimate of how many Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controllers Nintendo sold in the system’s first month in the U.S., based on Circana’s report today. The firm said that the Pro Controller, which offers Switch 2 controls in the form of a more traditional Xbox-style two-hand controller, had a 32% attach rate with the console (attach rate = how many people who bought one thing also bought the other thing).
Why I’m blown away by those 512,000 Pro Controllers:
The Pro Controller was a luxury on top of a luxury. Early Switch 2 players didn’t necessarily need the Pro Controller. If they wanted that two-hand controller feel, they could have snapped the Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers and grip—all bundled with the system—together to offer a similar experience. If they wanted an extra controller for multiplayer, the Switch 2’s Joy-Cons can already support two players for games such as Mario Kart World.
It cost $85! People who bought the Pro Controller were probably also spending $450-$500 on the Switch 2 (without or with a bundled copy of Mario Kart World).
It used to cost $80! After the Trump administration announced the pending implementation of new tariffs for imported goods, Nintendo said in mid-April that, actually, it’d sell the Pro Controller for $5 more than originally announced. It blamed “changes in market conditions.” Seems like half a million American shoppers, give or take, were content with eating the extra cost.
Caveat: The kind of people who rush to buy a new gaming device at launch are likely the kind of people who’ll splurge on extra controllers. So the Pro Controller isn’t likely to remain this hot.
Caveat 2: As Piscatella noted to IGN today, big launch sales don’t always mean a system will sell that well for its lifespan. It’s an indication of demand, yes, but also one of supply and Nintendo had a lot of Switch 2 systems ready to sale. It’s also, he said, a “helluva good start.” (Flashback: Nintendo publicly ebullient over Wii U launch week sales that were slightly behind the Wii’s.)
Other notable details from Circana’s U.S. gaming sales report for June 2025:
The top-selling game, ranked by dollars, was Elden Ring Nightreign, followed by PS5 exclusive Death Stranding 2 and then Mario Kart World. Bear in mind that Nintendo doesn’t share digital sales with Circana and that Mario Kart World cost $80—though didn’t have pricier collectors’ editions.
U.S. spending on gaming hardware, content and services for the month totaled $5.7 billion, vs. $4.7 billion a year ago.
Cyberpunk 2077 shot up from 427th place on the software chart to 18th place, thanks to the release of the Switch 2 version.
For those wondering if Mario Kart World would put the brakes on sales of Mario Kart 8, the latter ranked seventh on the Switch sales charts (digital sales not included), behind MK World, Cyberpunk, a new Rune Factory, two Zelda games and the Switch 2’s Street Fighter 6. It beat out Hogwarts Legacy, the Bravely Default remake and Minecraft.
The Switch 2’s $55 official camera had a “mid-single digit percentage” attach rate with the Switch 2, Circana gaming analyst Mat Piscatella told Game File. He said it was in line with his expectations. The Switch 2 doesn’t require a camera, and for those who want one, third-party cameras are also compatible. That makes it hard to tell how interested (or not) players are in the Switch 2’s heavily marketed GameChat service, which supports audio and video chat among online-connected users.
Item 2: $80? Not just yet.
In May, I reported that $80 video games are about to become the new normal. Microsoft had announced that this fall’s The Outer Worlds 2 role-playing game would cost $80, just weeks after Nintendo had said Mario Kart World would sell for that much as well.
Microsoft had said on May 1 that they “expect to adjust the pricing of some of our new, first-party games starting this holiday season to $79.99.”
Today, Microsoft said, no, actually, we’ll be selling Outer Worlds 2 for $70.
Per a company rep: “We’re focused on bringing players incredible worlds to explore, and will keep our full priced holiday releases, including The Outer Worlds 2, at $69.99 – in line with current market conditions.”
They did not say how they’ll price their games after the holidays.