Nintendo Switch 2 Sales Slip as PS5 Tops January 2026 Charts

Nintendo's 2026 is off to a very interesting start, though it may not be the best if you care about console hardware and app sales. A new report offers some interesting insights into the early-year momentum fight in the United States. Since its launch, the Switch 2 has mostly done well.

But in January, something interesting happened: Sony's PlayStation 5 sold more consoles than Nintendo's Switch 2. It's not even close to a crash, but it's enough to make people talk about how Nintendo has planned the first half of its year. According to January 2026 statistics, the report says the Switch 2 is the second-most-popular console in the US, behind the PS5.

When it comes to software, the top 10 actual sales chart is mostly made up of multiplatform heavyweights instead of Nintendo-published games.

The top three games are Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, NBA 2K26, and Madden NFL 26. The next games on the list are Forza Horizon 5, Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption, Minecraft, Battlefield 6, and EA Sports FC 26. There isn't a single first-party Nintendo title. It's important to note that Nintendo doesn't disclose digital sales numbers, so the ranking only accounts for physical sales.

Still, the images are very interesting. Some of those third-party games are also available on Switch 2, but none of Nintendo's own first-party games made it into the top ten for January. People are talking more generally about the company's release schedule and whether the lineup for early 2026 is good enough to keep hardware moving forward.

It's happened before that Sony would beat Nintendo in a given month, even when new gear was out. During the first version of Switch, similar flips happened. Even though the PS5 is well past its prime, it is still seeing strong sales from exclusives and from late adopters finally moving from older hardware.

Since more and more big games are only available on PS5, many players who hung on to older consoles are now upgrading. It's easy to see why the PS5 is moving so quickly as it approaches major sales milestones. But when a console is less than a year old, people usually have better hopes for it. Most of the time, we think the newer method will win every month.

The fact that the Switch 2 didn't do well in January doesn't mean it's going off a cliff, but it does mean that Nintendo's first-party games may not be as exciting as they were earlier in the generation. The Switch 2 got off to a great start with big exclusives, but there weren't any big new first-party releases in January.

Nintendo focused on improving old games and making smaller projects.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons received a $5 update called the Switch 2 Edition, which improved graphics and added new features. However, it wasn't a whole new game. Early regional data shows that February's Mario Tennis Aces didn't perform as well as its predecessor, raising questions about the game's long-term appeal.

Nintendo's plans for the future include pokémon pokopia, which will only be available on the Switch 2. This could surprise many people. It can move hardware because it's a cozy game with creative systems that recall Animal Crossing's popularity.

Since Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold tens of millions of copies, a new life-sim game with Pokémon could get players who don't yet have a Switch 2 to update. March brings more content, such as bigger versions of hit games, but not always the kind of big-name, must-have exclusives that usually make hardware sales go through the roof.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream will be available for Switch in April, rather than just a demo for the Switch 2. On the other hand, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is set to come out in the spring, though the exact date is still unknown.

Fire Emblem: Fortune Weave and Splatoon Raiders are two games set to be released in 2026, but their release dates have not been finalized. Some Nintendo fans will definitely be excited about these games, but they might not be as universally popular as a new 3D Mario or a major Legend of Zelda.

That absence is what this discussion is all about.

We can see how a demo for the next big Mario or Zelda game could change people's minds right away. Just hearing that there will be a future Super Smash Bros. A game made just for Switch 2 could get people excited again. Some longtime fans may be happy to wait if there aren't a few big reveals to start the year.

You could see January as a small bump in a generally positive trend or as an early sign that Nintendo needs to speed up its first-party releases. It looks like the Switch 2 is still competitive, and the gap between it and the PS5 in January is not very big.

But the fact that Nintendo software isn't in the physical top 10 shows that even great hardware needs appealing exclusive content to stay on top. As 2026 goes on, everyone will be looking forward to seeing what Nintendo does next.

A well-timed Direct, a surprise statement, or a firm release date for a big franchise could quickly change the story. In the meantime, the first few months of the year point to an exciting race, with Sony riding the wave of success and Nintendo getting ready for its next big move.