Switch 2 outsells GameCube's entire UK lifetime in 13 months

The Nintendo Switch 2 has overtaken the GameCube's entire UK lifetime sales total in roughly 13 months — a console that took the best part of five years to reach the same figure. The milestone was confirmed by Christopher Dring, co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Game Business, in a post on Bluesky on 28 July 2026.

"In the UK, Xbox console sales are up for the first six months of the year. It's the only platform holder to sell more consoles in H1 2026 vs 2025," Dring wrote. "Nintendo Switch 2 has now overtaken GameCube sales in the UK. Next up, N64."

What the numbers actually look like

The GameCube launched in Japan in 2001 and sold an estimated 1.15 million units across its entire UK lifespan — a figure derived from industry tracking data rather than any official Nintendo disclosure. By late 2025, the Switch 2 was already closing in fast, with around 737,000 UK units sold. At some point before Dring's post last Monday, it crossed the line.

It is worth being clear about what we know and what we don't. Dring has not published a specific Switch 2 unit total for the UK, and Nintendo does not break out regional hardware figures in its financial reports. The GameCube's ~1.15 million figure is an industry estimate, not a number Nintendo has ever officially confirmed. What Dring is well-placed to judge, given his position at The Game Business, is the trajectory — and the picture he paints is a striking one.

Globally, the Switch 2 has sold 19.86 million units according to Nintendo's latest financial figures, putting it tantalisingly close to the GameCube's worldwide lifetime total of 21.74 million. In the UK specifically, it now ranks as the 13th best-selling home console of all time and the fourth best-selling Nintendo platform — no small achievement for a machine that launched at £395.99 just over a year ago.

Still plenty of headroom

Before anyone starts writing Switch 2's coronation speech, it is worth noting what still stands in the way. When asked whether Switch 2 had now topped Nintendo's UK all-time chart, Dring was blunt: "No. Wii is about half a million ahead. If you include handhelds, it's also behind DS."

The immediate target, as Dring flagged, is the Nintendo 64 — the console that brought Mario 64, GoldenEye and Ocarina of Time to British living rooms when it launched in the UK back in 1997. Switch 2 now sits just behind it in the all-time rankings, and based on current momentum, that gap looks like it won't survive much longer.

For context, the original Switch has sold over 7 million units in the UK since its launch in 2017. The Switch 2 has a very long way to go before it threatens those numbers, but the direction of travel is clear.

Sales momentum holding into 2026

Perhaps the most telling detail in Dring's update is what it says about the Switch 2's staying power beyond its launch window. When asked how the first half of 2026 compared with Switch 2's launch period the previous year, Dring gave a simple answer: "+16%."

That is notable. Console hardware typically sells hardest in its launch month and tails off thereafter. A 16% increase year-on-year for H1 2026 — measured against the equivalent months of Switch 2's launch year — suggests healthy demand that has not simply collapsed after the initial rush. It should be noted, however, that Dring also pointed out that bundling original Switch sales into the picture gives Nintendo a weaker first-half 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, when both machines were contributing to the total.

Xbox bucks the trend

Dring's update also contained a notable data point for Microsoft. According to his figures, Xbox was the only platform holder to record year-on-year hardware sales growth in the UK during the first half of 2026. Both PS5 and Switch 2 are down year-on-year when measured across the full first half, while Xbox Series S and X sales have risen.

Gamereactor noted that the trend mirrors what has been observed in the US market, suggesting Xbox's efforts in spring 2026 appear to have gained some traction on both sides of the Atlantic. It is a rare piece of positive momentum for Microsoft's hardware business in a market where it has historically struggled to match Sony and Nintendo.

The GameCube connection

There is a neat irony buried in all of this. The GameCube was Nintendo's least commercially successful conventional home console right up until the Wii U came along — and yet its games library has enjoyed a remarkable second life. GameCube titles are now available to Switch 2 owners through Nintendo's Classics library, meaning the very console the Switch 2 has just overtaken in UK sales is actively being used as a selling point for Nintendo's current hardware. The Switch 2 is, in a sense, cannibalising and celebrating the GameCube at the same time.

The Switch 2 is available now in the UK priced at £395.99 as a standalone console, or £429.99 in a bundle that includes a digital copy of Mario Kart World.