Nintendo reports overall decline in Nintendo Switch software and hardware sales in the first half of the fiscal year
On November 5, Nintendo published its financial results for the first half of the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2025. The results revealed an overall decline in Nintendo Switch hardware and software sales compared to the high profits of the previous year.
(Image source: Financial Results Explanatory Material)
For the six-month period between April 1 to September 30, 2024, sales of video game hardware, software and accessories fell by 34.1% year-on-year to 485.2 billion yen. In the mobile and IP related business sections, sales decreased by 43.3% (YoY) to 31.2 billion yen. Specifically, sales of Nintendo Switch systems decreased 31.0% (YoY) to 4.72 million units, while software sales decreased 27.6% (YoY) to 70.28 million units.
Although this decline seems dramatic, both Nintendo Switch hardware and software sales were extremely high during the first half of the previous year (2023). Not only did Nintendo release the smash hit The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with tie-in limited edition Switch consoles during that period, but the company also reports that the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie increased IP-related income, as well as boosting game sales. With the Nintendo Switch now in its eighth year and no such extraordinary factors in the first half of the current fiscal year, it is hardly surprising that sales were comparatively lower.
On a positive note, Nintendo reports that sales of new first party releases like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Luigiʼs Mansion 2 HD and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom grew steadily during the first half of the current fiscal year. A total of nine Switch titles released this fiscal year surpassed the 1 million sales mark. Older games also saw steady sales.
However, the overall drop in profits has led Nintendo to revise its unit sales forecast for the fiscal year downwards, decreasing predicted Nintendo Switch hardware sales by 1 million to 12.50 million units and software by 5 million to 160 million units. Hardware sales are likely to pick up once Nintendo releases the much-anticipated successor to the Switch.
