Sales of the Switch 2 gaming console fell by almost 40% in the first six months of the current fiscal year amid a price increase for the device, Engadget reports, according to infohub.kz.
Over the past two quarters, Nintendo sold 6.49 million consoles: 3.82 million in the first quarter and 2.67 million in the second. That is 37.4% less than the 10.36 million units sold in the same period a year earlier. The company stressed that user interest remains strong thanks to new game releases, although the pace has naturally slowed after the initial surge.
The drop in demand coincided with the console's price increase. In early May, the manufacturer raised the price of the Switch 2 in the United States by $50, to $500. Management attributed the move to higher RAM module costs and US tariffs. Net profit for the reporting period nonetheless rose 11%, driven by strong game sales and box-office revenue from the new Super Mario animated film.
Despite cooling demand, Nintendo kept its annual sales forecast at 16.5 million units. That is roughly 17 percent below last year's record of 19.86 million consoles sold. A remake of the cult classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, released this week, is expected to strengthen the company's position in the second half of the year.