Breaking Sales Records Like It’s Easy
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and imagine this: the Nintendo Switch 2 just wrapped up 2025 with an astounding 4.4 million units flying off the shelves in the good old US of A. Yes, the gaming console has officially claimed the title of the fastest-selling console in US history, because who doesn’t love a dramatic moment in tech?
- Breaking Sales Records Like It’s Easy
- December’s Heavyweight Champion
- Setting Records: One Console at a Time
- The Rest of the Competition—On Life Support
- The Software Showdown
- The Fierce Competition
- The Power of User Engagement
- Nintendo’s Best-Sellers: The Physical Edition
- Accessorizing Like a Pro
- A Holiday Surprise
December’s Heavyweight Champion
According to Mat Piscatella, the oracle from Circana, the Switch 2 didn’t just take home the gold in unit sales but also bagged the prize for dollar sales in both December 2025 and for the whole year. Who knew selling consoles could be more lucrative than selling ice to penguins?
Setting Records: One Console at a Time
Now, here’s the kicker: this little beauty has outpaced the PS4 by a whopping 35% in sales during its first seven months, and if that wasn’t enough, it nearly doubled the sales of its predecessor. Talk about a glow-up! According to Piscatella, Circana predicted 4.3 million sales before the launch, and Switch 2 decided to throw a little surprise party for everyone by exceeding those numbers. Cue the confetti!
The Rest of the Competition—On Life Support
While some other gaming platforms were wallowing in year-on-year declines, Switch 2 was doing its best superhero impression, turning the tide and causing overall hardware spending to rise by 6% in December 2025 compared to December 2024. Overall, 2025 saw a 9% uptick compared to the previous year, and honestly, it’s almost like the other consoles need a really good pep talk.
The Software Showdown
In the world of software, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 emerged as the heavyweight champ of the month, claiming the title of best-selling game in the US—marking seven consecutive Decembers for the franchise. If only holiday decorations could be as reliable! But, plot twist: while Black Ops put on quite the show, it didn’t manage to dethrone Battlefield 6, which was the star of the year overall based on both physical and tracked digital sales. Surprise, surprise!
The Fierce Competition
Following Battlefield 6 were some fierce contenders: NBA 2K26 stood proudly in second place, Borderlands 4 flexed its muscles in third, Monster Hunter: Wilds made a dramatic entry at fourth, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 took the fifth spot—because why not? Keep in mind that these stats don’t account for digital sales on Nintendo platforms, as sharing is not exactly Nintendo’s favorite pastime.
The Power of User Engagement
Piscatella added some extra spice by pointing out that Fortnite still dominates when it comes to active users on both PlayStation and Xbox. Meanwhile, Roblox sneezed—sorry, “led”—in the publishing arena with ‘digital at retail’ spending, which casually includes anyone buying gift cards to boost their gaming addiction.
Nintendo’s Best-Sellers: The Physical Edition
In the land of Nintendo’s physical releases, the top title in 2025 was none other than Pokémon Legends: Z-A, followed closely by Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Donkey Kong Bananza. Completing the roundup, Mario Kart World didn’t even make it to the top 10; it turns out most copies were bundled with the shiny Switch 2 hardware and went digital. Classic Nintendo, keeping secrets close to the vest!
Accessorizing Like a Pro
In an extraordinary twist of fate, the year’s hottest accessory was none other than the Switch 2 Pro Controller—snagging an impressive attach rate of 24%, which is translated to a million plus controllers. Because, really, who doesn’t love an accessory that makes them feel like a gaming master?
A Holiday Surprise
Piscatella quipped about the late arrival of holiday shoppers. “Holiday came LATE this year,” he mused on social media. “Consumers waited and waited but eventually showed up. PS5 discounting helped a ton.” Ah, the age-old game of consumer patience—who ever thought waiting in lines would become the new extreme sport?
