Rumours point to an April launch (Nintendo)Although the Nintendo Switch 2 is expected to sell millions in the US alone, its suggested its first year wont be as strong as the originals.Given how rabid anticipation is for the Nintendo Switch 2, its unlikely the console will have any trouble selling at launch. In fact, Nintendos apparently bolstering stock to prevent it from selling out, as well as mitigate the inevitable scalping issues.That said, Nintendo would naturally want to see the Switch 2 outperform its older sibling. Obviously, it wont match the original consoles lifetime sales overnight, but one analyst predicts it wont beat it at launch either.While there remains no word of an official reveal or release date from Nintendo, Matt Piscatella, executive director and industry analyst at Circana, has taken a crack at estimating the Switch 2s sales performance, at least in the US.In a post on Bluesky, Piscatella predicts the Switch 2 will sell 4.3 million units in the US by the end of 2025. This is assuming the Switch 2 is released during the first half of this year.For what its worth, recent speculation and rumours point to Nintendo unveiling the console before the end of January, with a launch in the spring.Just this week, accessories manufacturer Genki displayed a replica of the Switch 2 at CES 2025, adding that its accessories for the console will launch in April, suggesting thats also Nintendos target release window.Piscatella adds that these 4.3 million sales would account for approximately a third of all video game console hardware units sold in the US this year, though this doesnt include portable PC devices. Part of the reason its taken this long for new Nintendo hardware is because people kept buying the Switch (Nintendo)It all sounds impressive, and it is, but it does suggest the Switch 2 wont perform quite as well as its predecessor, at least at first. The original Switch launched in March 2017 and by January 2018, it had sold 4.8 million units, making it the fastest-selling console in the US ever.More TrendingPiscatella expects there will still be hardware constraints for the first several months because of high demand. Plus, units sold will, of course, be dependent upon manufacturing capabilities.He also thinks the PlayStation 5 will outperform the Switch 2 and rank first in overall hardware units sold in the US during the year. Thats not very surprising, given it will have the whole year to rack up its total and no stock constraints.How well the Switch 2 performs will also depend on its games. So far, nothing has been explicitly announced for it, though there is speculation that confirmed Switch games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokmon Legends: Z-A are cross-gen titles.Its important to remember that support for the current Switch isnt expected to end any time soon. In 2023, Nintendo suggested it would keep making games for the system, meaning both it and the Switch 2 will co-exist, at least for a while. Metroid Prime 4 only has a vague 2025 release window (Nintendo)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy