While it is no secret that the impending June 5 launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 will be a pretty big deal for the industry, video game industry analysis firm DFC Intelligence believes that the new console might just be the most important console launch that the industry has seen so far. According to WCCFTech, the analysis firm believes that Nintendo will end up selling 16 million units of the Switch 2 by the end of 2025.
According to the firm’s report, its confidence in the Switch 2’s hardware sales comes in light of Grand Theft Auto 6 getting pushed back from its Fall 2025 launch window to May 26, 2026. This, coupled with the fact that Nintendo itself also tends to be fairly conservative in its own forecasts of hardware and software sales, has led DFC Intelligence to think that the console will end up doing quite well this year. For context, Nintendo’s sales forecasts for the Switch 2’s first year is to sell 15 million units.
As for dubbing the Switch 2’s launch as the most important console launch in the industry, the firm puts this down to the fact that GTA 6 won’t be out this year to help push sales of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S hardware. Because of this, DFC also believes that console sales for Sony and Microsoft will see more decline as the year goes on.
The Japanese market is expected to perform well according to DFC, with console game sales forecasts coming in at a 25 percent rise. The firm credits the fact that there is a region-specific Japan-only SKU of the Switch 2 available in the country at a considerably lower price than the region-free version which has all the languages available.
Looking at the industry for the coming year and beyond, DFC does believe that GTA 6’s eventual release will boost console sales by quite a bit, calling it a new phase of growth for the gaming industry. By the time the year 2029 rolls around, the analysis firm believes that more than 100 million units of the Switch 2 will have been sold, making Nintendo’s platform the main one for third-party partners as well.
During a recent shareholder Q&A, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa had noted that, while the price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is currently locked in at $449.99, the company might have to raise the price in the future depending on how the situation with the US tariffs on import plays out. He also notes that the company’s forecast of selling 15 million units of the Switch 2 doesn’t stem from production issues.
“This sales projection was not determined based on limitations in our production capacity,” said Furukawa. “The situation with US tariffs and concerns about economic downturn have also not affected our forecast. In order to achieve the target of 15 million, we will need to manufacture even more units than that.”
Nintendo has also confirmed that, while the Switch 2 will be a big deal for the company, it will continue to support the original Switch with more games as well.
