According to a report citing a source "familiar with the matter," Nintendo has trimmed its planned Nintendo Switch 2 output for the US market by 33% this quarter, pulling production targets from 6 million units down to 4 million. The cut is reportedly set to continue into April.
This isn't happening in a vacuum. Holiday 2025 was already a rough read for the console in North America, with US sales reportedly down 35% compared to what the original Switch managed during its first holiday season back in 2017. November 2025 also marked the worst month for US hardware sales since 1995. The production cut, per Bloomberg's sources, is being "driven by slower demand from consumers" rather than rising component costs or global supply chain issues.
What this means for the US versus the rest of the world
Here's the thing: this is very much a US-specific story. Strong sales in Japan and other markets mean Nintendo still holds its fiscal year sales projection at 19 million units globally. The company had already hit 17.37 million units as of its last financial report, so the annual target still looks achievable.
Amir Anvarzadeh, strategist at Asymmetric Advisors, put it bluntly to Bloomberg: "This hardware shortfall in its first year, during its big holiday season, is awful news. Clearly the software line-up has been poor, at least until most recently, with Pokémon showing some hope."
That last part matters. Pokémon Pokopia, the Switch 2 exclusive that launched in March, shifted 2.2 million units globally in its first four days. Nintendo's sources told Bloomberg the company is watching whether Pokopia and other upcoming titles have "enough staying power to merit an output increase" before reversing course on the production cut.
danger
Bloomberg's report comes from an unnamed source, and the journalist behind it, Takashi Mochizuki, has a contested track record on Nintendo reporting. Nintendo has previously pushed back on Mochizuki's claims. The broader sales data from Nintendo's own financial filings still points to a console tracking 45% ahead of the original Switch after nine months in the US market, according to industry analyst Mat Piscatella.Why US buyers are holding off
The community reaction to this report tells its own story. The Switch 2 forum on Nintendo Life filled up with 229 comments almost immediately, and the recurring themes were hard to ignore.
Price comes up constantly. At $449 for the base console, the Switch 2 sits at a premium that many US buyers aren't ready to commit to, especially with broader economic pressures squeezing household budgets. Several community members pointed out that the Switch 2 Edition re-releases of older games, while appreciated by existing owners, simply aren't the kind of titles that pull fence-sitters into a purchase.
The software argument has two sides. What most players miss is that the Switch 2 actually has a respectable lineup for a console under a year old, including Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Metroid Prime 4, and now Pokopia. The key here is that none of those, before Pokopia, had the mass-market pull of a mainline 3D Mario, a new Zelda, or a fresh Animal Crossing. Those franchises move consoles to casual buyers, and they're still not announced.
Nintendo's next move
Official figures won't arrive until May, when Nintendo reports its full fiscal year results. That's when Switch 2 and Pokopia sales data will get a proper accounting. The production cut runs through at least April, and Nintendo appears to be treating the Pokopia bump as a test case before committing to any upward revision.
Looking further out, Pokémon Winds and Waves is expected in 2027, which would be a significant hardware driver. A Nintendo Direct covering the rest of the 2026 release schedule is something the community has been loudly requesting, and a clearer roadmap of first-party titles could do more for US momentum than any production adjustment. Nintendo reportedly cut Switch 2 US production by 33%, dropping from 6M to 4M units after holiday sales fell 35% short of original Switch benchmarks. Make sure to check out more:
