According to a report from The Game Business, data firm NielsenIQ shows that the Nintendo Switch 2 is the biggest Nintendo console launch in the UK ever. Still, it's not the biggest console launch in the region ever, with the PS5, PS4, and Xbox Series consoles still ahead of it.
While the report doesn't provide a specific number, The Game Business says the Switch 2 beat out week-one launch sales in the UK for the Nintendo Switch "by more than two to one," and also pointed out that the Nintendo Switch managed to sell a little more than 80K units in the UK when it launched in 2017. The Nintendo 3DS, which used to have the record for the best UK launch for a Nintendo device, sold 113K units in its launch.
The Game Business also listed the top-10 console launches in the UK by sales units, with the Nintendo Switch 2 now firmly in fourth place. Here's the full list, per The Game Business:
- PlayStation 5
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox Series
- Nintendo Switch 2
- PlayStation 3
- Xbox One
- Nintendo Wii
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox 360
- Xbox One X
Reports from the PS5's UK launch claimed it sold more than 250K units in just two days after launch, and more than 450K by the end of 2020. So, until any actual sales numbers are reported, we know that the Switch 2 sold more than 113K units and less than 250K.
It didn't set the all-time record for the UK, but there's no denying that somewhere between 113-250K is a very strong launch for just one region. The Switch 2 also might've set all-time records elsewhere, as it's currently claimed that the Switch 2 is now France's fastest-selling console ever, and that Nintendo moved 200K units in France in the console's opening weekend.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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