In a stunning turn of events, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sealed its first year on the market as the second fastest-selling hardware in U.S. history, boasting an impressive install base of 5.9 million units, according to Circana's latest data. Only the Game Boy Advance, with 6.5 million units sold in its initial year, outshines the Switch 2. This phenomenal success has been acknowledged by Nintendo itself, who deem it their fastest-selling hardware globally, despite some sales slumps towards the end of 2025 in western markets. In a surprising twist, May 2026 saw a significant boost in Switch 2 sales following the announcement of a $50 price increase, raising the console's cost to $499.99, effective September 1. This price hike may have contributed to a 38% surge in hardware spending in May, totaling $249 million, while PS5 spending plummeted by 43%, due to recent price increases. The Xbox Series experienced a slight growth of 7% in spending but saw a 12% drop in unit sales. The Switch 2 continued to dominate as the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars for May and the year-to-date, with the PS5 trailing closely behind on both fronts. Notably, PlayStation's hardware unit sales hit their lowest May total since May 2000, while Xbox's were the lowest ever recorded for a May month. The ongoing component crisis has forced Microsoft to announce significant price rises for the Xbox Series X and S, effective August 1, joining Sony in raising console prices. With reports suggesting Sony's PS6 and Microsoft's Project Helix could launch around $1,000, the video game industry faces mounting pressure on hardware pricing. As for Nintendo, they anticipate selling 16.5 million Switch 2 units over the next fiscal year, a decrease from the 19.86 million sold since its launch. Despite this, cumulative Switch 2 sales after 22 months would still surpass those of Switch 1 at the same point in its life cycle. Whether the Switch 2 can maintain the longevity of Switch 1's success remains to be seen. Wesley Yin-Poole, Director of News at IGN, reported on these developments and can be reached at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].