Curious to explore the activities of the approximately 190,000 individuals who purchased the Switch 2 at launch sans Mario Kart World, as I find it hard to accept that Welcome Tour singlehandedly propelled the system to success.
The Nintendo Switch 2, released by Nintendo, made a strong debut in June 2025, selling 5.82 million units in its first month, according to Nintendo's "dedicated video game sales units" page. The console's impressive sales were reflected in the software market, with 8.67 million units sold, excluding the blockbuster title, Mario Kart World.
Mario Kart World, the big launch title for the Switch 2, sold 5.63 million units by the end of June, making it one of the best-selling games of the year. However, it remains unclear what the system sellers were for the 190,000 Switch 2 owners who did not purchase Mario Kart World.
For those who skipped Mario Kart World, there were several popular alternatives. The top-selling games on the Nintendo Switch 2 for the approximately 190,000 users who did not purchase Mario Kart World included Cyberpunk 2077, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Street Fighter 6, Mario Kart 8, Hogwarts Legacy, Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster, and Minecraft. These titles show what alternative popular choices existed besides Mario Kart World.
Interestingly, the ranking of these titles on the Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch for June 2025 in the U.S. was:
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Street Fighter 6
- Mario Kart 8
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster
- Minecraft
These sales figures suggest that the 190,000 Switch 2 owners who skipped Mario Kart World likely opted for some combination of these other major releases, consistent with the fact that 3.04 million non-Mario Kart sales were recorded in the console's first month.
The Mario Kart bundle was a popular choice, contributing to the sales of Mario Kart World. However, the likelihood of a 190,000-person army of Welcome Tour mega fans is low, but not zero.
In other news, the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour received a review, with Rollin Bishop calling it a "fascinating tech demo." Update 1.2 for Mario Kart World has altered the item pool, leaving racers defenseless. The sales data runs until the end of June.
- The Nintendo Switch 2 owners who did not purchase Mario Kart World opted for a variety of popular alternatives, such as Cyberpunk 2077, Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Minecraft.
- The sales figures for the Nintendo Switch 2 indicate that 3.04 million non-Mario Kart sales were recorded in the console's first month, suggesting a significant number of consumers preferred other major releases.
- The Mario Kart bundle was a popular choice, contributing to the sales of Mario Kart World, though it remains uncertain whether a 190,000-person army of Welcome Tour mega fans exists.
- The item pool in Mario Kart World has been altered in Update 1.2, leaving racers defenseless and causing concern among some gamers.
- The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour received a review, with Rollin Bishop calling it a "fascinating tech demo." This news comes as the sales data for the gaming console for June 2025 is reaching its close.
