Nintendo's follow-up to the best-selling console of the 2010s is off to a blistering start. In the most recent quarter, the Nintendo Switch 2 outsold the PlayStation 5 by roughly one million units, extending a run of momentum that has made it the console to beat a year after launch. But dig into the numbers and the picture is more nuanced than a simple changing of the guard.
A Dominant Year One
The Switch 2 has reached 19.86 million units sold in its first year - enough to rank it among the fastest-selling consoles in history. In the United States, its lead is even starker: US hardware spending jumped 38% year over year to $249 million in May 2026, with the Switch 2 the best-selling platform in both units and dollars for the month and for the year to date. Year-to-date, it's running roughly 29% ahead of the PS5 in US unit sales.
The Lifetime Gap Sony Still Holds
Quarterly wins are one thing; the install-base war is another. On a lifetime basis, the PS5 remains far ahead, with more than 93 million units shipped as of late March 2026 - versus the year-old Switch 2's 19.86 million. Sony's console has a multi-year head start, and that gap won't close overnight. What's alarming for Sony is the trajectory: the PS5 posted its worst May unit sales since 2000, down 58% year-on-year, as its average retail price climbed 33% to around $672.
A Price Hike Looms
The momentum comes with a catch for buyers. Effective September 1, 2026, Nintendo will raise the Switch 2's US MSRP from $449.99 to $499.99 - a $50 increase. Whether that dents the console's runaway momentum is the question hanging over the back half of the year. For now, though, the story is clear: a year in, the Switch 2 is the hottest hardware on the market, and Sony is feeling the heat.
