adminNintendo FY sales nearly doubled in the year ended March 31, 2026, as the Switch 2 launch drove strong hardware and software demand. The company reported higher profits alongside the increase in revenue, while also announcing price rises for its new console in Japan, the US, Canada and Europe. Its outlook for the next fiscal year reflects both those price adjustments and expectations for hardware sales to ease from the system’s exceptional launch year.
Image credit: Omega Force/Game Freak
Nintendo FY sales and financial results
Nintendo’s full-year results show the scale of the Switch 2’s contribution. Dedicated platform sales—which include hardware, software and accessories—rose 106.7% to ¥2.2 trillion ($14 billion).
For the year ended March 31, 2026
- Net sales: ¥2.3 trillion ($14.6 billion), up 98.6%
- Operating profit: ¥360.1 billion ($2.2 billion), up 27.5%
- Ordinary profit: ¥542.2 billion ($3.4 billion), up 45.6%
- Gross profit: ¥909 billion ($5.7 billion), up 28%
Forecast for the year ending March 2027
- Net sales: ¥2.1 trillion ($13.3 billion), down 11.4%
- Operating profit: ¥370 billion ($2.3 billion), up 2.7%
- Ordinary profit: ¥430 billion ($2.7 billion), down 20.7%
When comparing these figures, note that the first set covers a completed fiscal year, while the second is Nintendo’s forecast. The company says the forecast accounts for recent console price changes, which it attributed to shifts in market conditions, including shortages of memory components and other factors. Prices for the original Switch range in Japan and Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions are also set to rise.
Switch 2 hardware and software sales
Launched in June 2025, Switch 2 recorded Nintendo’s highest global platform sales during its first four months. Its sales also exceeded the original Switch’s sell-through during that system’s first full fiscal year. By the end of the reporting period, Switch 2 hardware sales had reached 19.86 million units.
Software sales for the new console totaled 48.71 million units. Mario Kart World, released alongside the hardware, sold 14.7 million copies, including bundled copies. Donkey Kong Bananza reached 4.52 million units, while Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition sold 3.94 million. Nintendo said sales of downloadable versions of Z-A and other Switch 2 Edition games are included in total Nintendo Switch software sales.
Pokémon Pokopia, released in March 2026, helped support Switch 2 hardware sales at the end of the fiscal year. Nintendo’s results also reported increased digital sales revenue, which rose 25% year over year. Downloadable versions of packaged games, including Pokémon Pokopia and Pokémon Legends: Z-A, contributed to the increase.
Original Switch performance and popular games
Original Switch hardware sales fell 64.8% to 3.80 million units. Nintendo noted that the system continued to attract buyers even as it entered its tenth year since launch in March. Switch OLED sales were 1.72 million, compared with 5.86 million the previous year; Switch Lite sales reached 940,000, down from 1.95 million.
Software sales for the original Switch totaled 136.91 million units, a year-over-year decline of 11.9%. Nintendo said games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Nintendo Switch Sports continued to sell steadily, in part because Switch 2 owners can play Switch software on the newer system. The Switch 2 editions of Super Mario Party Jamboree and Animal Crossing: New Horizons also performed well.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream launched for Switch, but 40% of its players were Switch 2 owners, according to Nintendo. The game sold more than 3.8 million units in its first two weeks. Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen also contributed to digital revenue growth, selling more than four million units in their first six weeks.
Image credit: Nintendo
Entertainment business and Nintendo’s outlook
Nintendo’s IP-related business—including movies, smart-device content, royalties and merchandise—generated ¥73.5 billion in sales, down 9.7% year over year. The company attributed the decrease to lower revenue from The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meanwhile, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, released in April, grossed more than $800 million worldwide in its first four weeks. Nintendo said the Mario animated film franchise has surpassed $2 billion in total revenue.
For the fiscal year ending March 2027, Nintendo expects Switch 2 hardware sales to fall 16.9% to 16.5 million units, while software sales are forecast to rise 23.2% to 60 million units. The company said the console’s first-year sales were unusually strong, partly because the launch came while many consumers were still enjoying the original Switch. It described the forecast hardware volume as a healthy level for the system’s second year and said it expects the installed base to continue growing.
Nintendo expects original Switch hardware sales to decline 47.4% to two million units, with software sales down 23.3% to 105 million units. Overall, Nintendo FY sales reflect the rapid start of Switch 2, while the company’s next-year forecast points to more moderate hardware demand and continued software growth. For readers tracking the business, the key figures to watch are console unit sales, game sales and the effect of price changes on demand.
