Third-Party Titles Face Slow Start on Nintendo Switch 2 Despite Record-Breaking Launch

Image: Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter 6 (Credit: CD Red/WB Games/Capcom)

The Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a blazing start in terms of hardware sales, but early signs suggest that third-party game performance hasn’t quite caught up with the console’s success.

While first-party titles like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza are dominating the charts and player engagement, many third-party games have been slow out of the gate. According to a report by The Game Business, most third-party games released on the Switch 2 during its launch window posted surprisingly low sales numbers. One unnamed publisher reportedly described their figures as “below our lowest estimates,” despite the console achieving the biggest hardware launch in video game history.

Industry expert Christopher Dring, who authored the report, explained that although there was an increase in third-party involvement at launch compared to the original Switch, the results have still been underwhelming.

In the U.K., Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt emerged as the best-selling third-party title, but sales data still paints a lopsided picture. NielsenIQ reports that 86% of all physical game sales for Switch 2 during launch week in the U.K. were first-party titles when counting the Mario Kart World bundle. Even without that bundle, first-party games still claimed 48% of sales. The U.S. market told a similar story, with 62% of physical sales attributed to Nintendo’s in-house titles, excluding the bundled copies.

One major reason behind the underperformance of third-party games appears to be the nature of the launch titles themselves. Most were ports of older games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Street Fighter, and Civilization 7, which players may have already experienced on other platforms.

Another factor potentially hurting third-party launches is Nintendo’s limited early access for reviewers. Without advance review copies, many third-party games went live with no critical analysis available, which may have caused hesitation among potential buyers.

There's also the issue of backward compatibility. With the Switch 2 enhancing older Switch games, some users are simply diving back into their existing libraries rather than buying new titles. For instance, updated versions of popular games like Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are already optimized for the new hardware, giving players even more reason to hold off on new purchases.

Moreover, format issues may be contributing to consumer reluctance. Many third-party games are distributed as “Game Key Cards”, requiring users to download the full game even after inserting a cartridge. This has sparked frustration among Switch fans who prefer the system’s hallmark plug-and-play convenience.

Despite these early struggles, hope isn’t lost for third-party publishers. According to the same report, Nintendo is actively working to boost third-party engagement and support on the platform. Upcoming titles like EA Sports Madden 26 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 are expected to arrive later this year, alongside more first-party heavyweights such as Donkey Kong Bananza and Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

In the long run, the current sales dip for third-party games may just be a temporary hurdle. With more simultaneous multi-platform releases and stronger marketing, there’s still potential for these games to find success on the Switch 2. For now, though, it’s clear that Nintendo’s own games continue to drive the bulk of player interest—and sales—on its new system.