NINTENDO SWITCH 2

✨ New Hardware: That difficult second album

Immediately following the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct, the survey went live to capture a fresh snapshot of consumer sentiment toward the upcoming hybrid. Here's what we found:

• Following the Nintendo Direct, nearly three-quarters of all respondents said they were excited for the Switch 2.
• Almost one in five felt neutral on the reveal, and said the presentation didn't sway them in any particular way.
• A small, but notable 8% were left disappointed.

One of the big talking points after the full reveal was the price of the hardware (starting at $449.99). Here's how folks reacted:

All other respondents (45.8%) indicated that the pricing for the new hybrid was in line with their expectations.

In order to drill down more on the pricing, the survey asked what respondents think of the value this new console offers.

• Despite a majority stating that the console is pricier than expected, most respondents (40.8%) consider the Nintendo Switch 2 to be of 'fair value'.
• Only 6.3% consider the follow-up console to be 'significantly overpriced'.
• The chart below shows the breakdown of all responses, with the takeaway being that there is generally a positive value perception regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 pricing.

So, now we know what folks think of the price, but how much does that actually impact purchase intent? The survey asked, following the Direct, how likely respondents are to buy the Nintendo Switch 2.

• A sizeable majority (81.1%), to little surprise, intend to purchase the Nintendo Switch 2.
• This strong purchase intention breaks down as follows: 36.4% plan to buy at launch 35.0% plan to buy but not immediately at launch 9.7% indicated they had already pre-ordered
• Some 14% remain undecided about whether they'll buy the Switch 2.
• 4.9 shared they currently have no intention to buy.

There are some interesting takeaways from this pricing roundup — chiefly that despite a large number of respondents indicating that the Nintendo Switch 2 is more expensive than expected, most are still seeking to purchase early. Now, surveys like this do tend to attract a dedicated crowd — so take this more as a clear illustration of the strong brand loyalty among Nintendo fans who will buy despite these price concerns. These early adopters are keen, and their purchase decisions clearly driven by more than just pricing factors.

So, what is it about the Nintendo Switch 2 that folks are excited about? The survey asked which feature or change in the new console respondents find most appealing.

Yes, the new control method introduced with the Nintendo Switch 2 was by far the most popular response to this question on new features and improvements. As is often the case with a new Nintendo console, a unique or novel control scheme is introduced (Gamepad, Wiimote, etc), and it immediately captures the attention. Whether this feature will see widespread adoption and usage is, of course, to be seen — but this enthusiasm for it is a clear, positive reception for a feature that could have been easily dismissed.

Beyond mouse mode, other popular responses for new features and improvements found in the Switch 2 include the improved performance, magnetic Joy-Con, Game Chat, 4K docked support, and more.

The word cloud below shows what words respondents frequently used when sharing their thoughts on the Switch 2:

The survey also asked if respondents plan to keep their original Nintendo Switch once the new model is available. A majority of 75% said they plan to keep their current Switch — suggesting a strong attachment to the current model, and it possibly being used in a different way going forward (one for home, one for travel say). Some 13% said they do not plan to keep the original, with the remainder either undecided or one of those without a Switch.

In addition to asking about hardware, the survey also asked what announced software folks were most looking forward to. Here's what we found, starting with, to little surprise:

Mario Kart World

is the most anticipated game for Nintendo Switch 2.

Mario Kart World was, by quite some margin, the most anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 game. The launch game was the top choice of more than 40% of respondents. Donkey Kong: Bananza was the second most anticipated title, as selected by just over 20% of those completing the survey.

The visualisation below highlights the popularity of each response.

Based on the above, the top ten most anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 games are as follows:

1. Mario Kart World
2. Donkey Kong: Bananza
3. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition
4. Kirby Air Riders
5. The Duskbloods
6. Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
7. Hollow Knight: Silksong
8. Cyberpunk 2077
9. Pokemon Legends Z-A

Around 3.5% of respondents indicated that no particular Switch 2 title caught their eye.

Sticking with Switch 2 titles, the survey also asked what one game or game series respondents would most like to see come to the new console.

As you might expect, this question saw a wide variety of responses, but here's what came out on top: Animal Crossing is the most requested game folks want to see come to the Switch 2 in the future.

A new Mario and Zelda title took the second and third spot respectively. More Xenoblade, along with a new Star Fox, Fire Emblem, F-Zero, and Kid Icarus also saw plenty of mentions.

Popular choices for third-party titles respondents want to see come to the Nintendo Switch 2 included Baldur's Gate III, Final Fantasy, Halo, Monster Hunter, and GTA.

Finally, on the Switch 2, the survey invited respondents to share their thoughts and comments on the upcoming console. Here's a mixed selection of what folks had to say:

SWITCH OWNERS

✌️ The OGs: Stats on the Original Switch

After asking questions about the new, upcoming hardware, the survey then turns its attention back to the original Nintendo Switch (Switch 1) — first released in 2017. 98.66% of respondents indicated that they currently own a Switch 1.

Of the tiny 1.33% of respondents without a Switch 1, 60% said they are now going to get a Switch 2 instead.

The survey asked how many Nintendo Switch consoles respondents had in their household. Throughout the history of this survey, the values returned have shown more and more folks being 'multi-Switch' homes. The data from this year reflects that once more:

This sustained trend of Nintendo Switch players having multiple consoles bodes well for the Switch 2 and features such as GameShare.

So, which model of the original Switch do folks have? The vast majority (just over 80%) of survey respondents own the standard Nintendo Switch — which makes sense as it was the first model released and has been available the longest. Nearly 29% have the OLED model, and 21% own the Lite. The percentages here add up to over 100% — this is due to many respondents owning multiple Switch systems. As we alluded to earlier, this multi-system ownership pattern is a relatively unusual one in the console market and demonstrates Nintendo's desired success in creating distinct value propositions for each Switch variant that appeal to their most dedicated fans, and families wishing to play together.

As for which specific model — down to the colour — respondents have, here's how that breaks down, along with how it has changed year-over-year:

Games on Switch

🎮 Playtime: What software you've been playing

The next set of questions focuses on the games available on Switch, which titles folks have, how much of their library is digital, and more.

Nintendo Switch players own a median of 50 games. The data collected shows that (excluding a few sizeable outlier collectors with thousands of games), the average library contains around 71 games. The average of just over 70 is somewhat higher due to these dedicated enthusiasts pushing the number up — therefore the median value of 50 is likely more representative.

Of course, what's particularly fascinating is this variance in collector behaviour: while the mainstream audience centres around this aforementioned 50-game mark, there's a long tail of dedicated Switch owners with substantial libraries. Just under 10% of respondents maintain collections of more than 200 games, with a small handful stating they owned thousands of Switch titles.

Whether they're a player with the median number of games or an avid collector with thousands, these findings paint a picture of a highly engaged Switch audience with substantial libraries, demonstrating strong ongoing support for Nintendo's hybrid console and an attach rate that's likely far above the console industry average.

The chart below (a violin plot) highlights how the typical Switch library has grown over the past eight years. It plots the distribution of all library-size responses, with a wider shape representing how common a given library-size response is in each given year.

As you can see, the past 3 or 4 years have been rather similar, with a small trend emerging of more folks with larger libraries (those exceeding 100 games). Due to the continued output of countless games — the Switch has a huge console library — this is an expected trend.

The survey next asks respondents to share what percentage of their Nintendo Switch library is digital, and as ever it remains a rather consistent statistic.

The chart below shows how this statistic hasn't really changed much over the years — suggesting that although Switch owners broadly are comfortable and accepting of digital game purchases, physical media remains a hugely important part of being a Nintendo Switch gamer. It will interesting to see how this changes during the Nintendo Switch 2 era, what with new game-sharing features, and 'faux physical' Game Key cards.

So, what recent Switch games have folks picked up? The next question asked which Nintendo-published titles (from 2024 and 2025) respondents owned. Here's what the results show:

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

topped the list as the most widely picked-up game among respondents from recent releases.

The chart below shows the full rundown of recent original Switch releases and how many survey respondents picked up each respectively:

• As we can see, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is owned by over half of all (~1,500) respondents — confirming the appeal of the shift to playing as the titular Zelda, and the franchise's general continued popularity.
• The 2024 remaster of Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door performed particularly strongly.
• Considering the Xenoblade Chronicles X Wii U port released during the survey period, it has a very strong early showing.

Next, the survey moves on to ask about what games respondents have actually spent time with the most over the past year. The feedback here serves as a timely look at what games people are actively playing, beyond just sales — it's a solid look at what titles are 'sticky' with the core audience. Here is the rundown of the Nintendo Switch games with the most playtime in 2024:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
3. Splatoon 3
4. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
5. Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door
6. Animal Crossing New Horizons
7. Pokemon Scarlet / Violet
8. Balatro
9. Mario & Luigi: Brothership
10. Unicorn Overlord

Just like last year, Tears of the Kingdom takes the top spot. The huge open world and crafting/building tools have given the game incredible staying power.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is another evergreen title that has actually climbed up a few spaces over last year's ranking, suggesting that the rollout of the Booster Course Pack saw plenty of folks return to play.

It's nice to see two 3rd-party titles break into the top ten here this year, by way of Balatro and Unicorn Overlord respectively. Last year, the top ten playtime list was made up of purely Nintendo-published titles.

In addition to asking which games folks played the most last year, the survey also asks which single game respondents have spent the most time playing throughout their entire time with the Switch. These are the top ten all-time most-played games on Switch, by total playtime:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Animal Crossing New Horizons
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
4. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
6. Splatoon 3
7. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
8. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
9. Stardew Valley
10. Monster Hunter Rise

Other popular responses just outside of the top ten included Splatoon 2, Fortnite, a variety of Pokemon titles, Super Mario Odyssey, Hades, Minecraft, Slay the Spire, and Skyrim.

Another software question asked respondents which one single game they are most looking forward to. This was specifically related to games coming to the Switch 1.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

is the most anticipated Nintendo Switch 1 game.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was by far the most common response, seeing more than double that of any other response. Other popular responses included Pokemon Legends Z-A, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, Rhythm Heaven Groove, and Hollow Knight Silksong.

Finally, this software section is brought to a close by asking respondents which year of the Nintendo Switch era they felt was the best/strongest for software releases.

Respondents selected the launch year as the top choice (Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe) followed by 2023 (Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pikmin 4, Super Mario RPG). Here's how all of the years were ranked:

1. 2017
2. 2023
3. 2020
4. 2019
5. 2022
6. 2018
7. 2021
8. 2024

How folks play on Switch

🙌 Here's how you use Nintendo's hybrid

One of the enduring strengths of the Switch is, of course, its versatility — so, the survey wants to zero in on just how this hybrid is actually being used today. The results paint the following picture:

The hybrid nature of the Nintendo Switch means players can enjoy the console as a portable — but how often do Switch owners use their machine outside of the home — for example at school, in the office, or during a commute? Well, roughly 52% of respondents indicated they never or rarely play their Switch when away from home. Here's how that breaks down:

Hardware durability & software issues

🧰 Hands up if your Joy-Con drifted

This section asks a few questions on how the Switch hardware is holding up for folks, if respondents faced any software issues, etc.

Other hardware issues were highlighted, such as respondents having battery issues, broken kickstands, and Bluetooth problems, but these were all from under ~10% of respondents — they're not widespread, unlike the infamous drift issue.

Just under 20% of respondents shared that they've carried out their own repairs on the Switch — such as Joy-Con fixes.

Here are just a few comments from respondents on the Switch hardware and its durability:

In terms of software issues, one that was cited on a few occasions by respondents was that of games crashing or freezing, or encountering errors that force them back to the Switch home screen. Many users also highlighted performance issues — such as low or unstable frame rates and lag. Criticism of the general performance of the Nintendo Switch has increased over the past 2 or 3 years — a somewhat expected trend as hardware ages and software demands grow.

The eShop was frequently criticized for being slow, unresponsive and difficult to navigate — an issue that has been highlighted time and time again.

Around 12% of respondents noted that they had experimented with or made use of Nintendo Switch emulators — such as the now-defunct Yuzu.

Nintendo Switch Online

🌐 Thoughts on the online experience and membership

Nintendo's online service offers Switch players cloud saves, access to retro titles and online play, all for what's a comparatively modest fee — but just how many of the Switch player base are subscribing, and what volume of players are opting to shell out for the additional 'Expansion Pack' tier? Let's take a look.

A sizeable majority of respondents (78.66%) are active members of Nintendo Switch Online, with the remaining ~21% sharing that they've either not held a subscription (11%), or are no longer a member (10%).

As for why around 20% of Switch owners do not hold an NSO subscription, here's what some respondents had to say:

NSO is home to a library of retro titles from a range of older consoles. The survey asked respondents which of the available NSO game libraries they have played. Here's what was found: The SNES library is the most popular, with 83% of respondents having tried at least one of the games on offer. This was followed by NES (74%) and Game Boy (67%) respectively.

As you'd expect the Expansion Pack only libraries scored a little lower, with the N64 (53%) and GBA (52%) seeing a similar usage level. Only 31% of Expansion Pack subscribers have tried the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive games on offer.

When asked which library of games respondents would most like to see come to the NSO service next, there was a wide variety of responses including various past Nintendo machines, and retro consoles from other manufacturers. There was, however, one standout response:

Nintendo DS

is the most requested platform folks want to see come to the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Nintendo's dual-screen handheld, along with other consoles with specific 'gimmicks', do pose a challenge in regards to bringing their library to modern hardware — however, it's clear there is an appetite for that hardware's varied library — and with the Switch and Switch 2 having a touchscreen it's not beyond the console's capabilities.

Although the majority of responses noted the DS as the primary system they'd like to see games from come to NSO, other popular responses included: Wii, Dreamcast, 3DS, Virtual Boy, and Sega Saturn.

The survey also asks what one single specific game respondents would like to see come to NSO. There was a clear frontrunner here, and that's classic Pokemon titles, such as Emerald, Crystal, and Red and Blue. Beyond the multitude of folks wanting to see older Pokemon games on NSO, other popular responses included: Donkey Kong 64, Chrono Trigger, Mother 3, Conker's Bad Fur Day, and Diddy Kong Racing. The original Super Smash Bros also saw a fair few responses.

Respondents are also asked to share any comments they may have about the current Nintendo Switch Online service, and what they make of it. Here's a selection of what was shared:

Wrapping it up!

A good generation

Eight years on and the Nintendo Switch has cemented itself as one of the greatest consoles of all time — and it's still riding high.

It's a system that has punched way above its weight, and despite its internals, has aged somewhat gracefully (if not without a few performance groans and Joy-Con mishaps). This annual survey has proven year-in year-out that the system has a dedicated and deeply engaged community of players.

The 2025 survey showed us a few things clearly:

• The enthusiasm for Nintendo’s next chapter is really strong. Despite some clear sticker shock at the Switch 2’s pricing, excitement and purchase intent are high.
• The original Switch continues to thrive, but at a slowing pace.
• The feedback suggests that Nintendo’s online services still feel like something of a work in progress for many, but the growing retro libraries are a bright spot, made brighter by the upcoming GameCube library on Switch 2. The social features of Switch 2 also look to go some way to bolster the offering.
• Joy-Con drift was a constant blight on the Switch 1 generation, and there's a strong hope that it's resolved for the next generation.

On the whole, there is such a clear fondness for the concept and overall platform Nintendo created back in 2017, and as one of such popularity — carrying the company through one of its most successful eras ever — it's evident that folks didn't want the Switch era to end. It may have surprised some to see Nintendo take an iterative approach, but this evolution seems to be what most want.

In recent years there was a growing thirst for more powerful hardware, the Switch 2 seemingly delivers on that, whilst retaining the core functionality and hybrid concept that made the first such a smash hit.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. Here’s to what’s next.

Demographics

• 82% of respondents identify as male, 13% female, 3% non-binary.
• 64% of respondents reside in the U.S, 27% in Europe.
• 39% of respondents are ages 31-40, 22% are 25-30, 17% are 41-50, 14% are 18-24.
• Most respondents found the survey via Email, X, and Bluesky.