A new article from Bloomberg, written by Takashi Mochizuki, paints an exciting picture for the arrival of Nintendo Switch 2, suggesting that it could be the biggest launch ever for a new console in terms of immediate sales.
As we have seen, Nintendo is already recording impressive pre-orders in Japan, to the point that they have had to warn customers that not everyone who has pre-ordered will be able to get a console immediately, and they might have to use a lottery system.
So far, there have been 2.2 million pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan, which gives us a good idea of how many consoles might be sold at launch worldwide, based on the sales data from different regions.
A Historic Launch
It’s true that Japan has been a particularly strong market for Nintendo consoles in recent years, with the Nintendo Switch being a huge success, and the new Nintendo Switch 2 will be priced more affordably there compared to other countries. Still, the data is very significant.
Some analysts from Pelham Smithers Associates believe that pre-orders in Japan could make up about one-third of the global total. This suggests that around 6.6 million consoles could be ready for purchase worldwide.
This would already set a record for console sales at launch. So far, the record belongs to the PS4 and PS5, both with about 4.5 million consoles sold in the first two months of release. However, it looks like the Nintendo Switch 2 will easily surpass this number.
With more than 6 million pre-orders and some early analysis suggesting that Nintendo could produce between 6 and 8 million consoles during the launch period, the Nintendo Switch 2 is likely to set a new sales record when it hits the market on June 5, 2025.
