Because calling it the “eSlop” would be a little too on the nose.
Three thousand and fifty seven.
For the first time since roughly 2022 we had multiple systems to track for digital releases, and the full year on Switch and Switch 2 combined for 3,057 releases in North America. That is now four years in a row that the Switch itself has beaten its total from the prior year’s tracking (beginning in 2021), with this year coming in at an eye watering 2,920 digital releases and the Switch 2 kicking in the remaining 137.
All figures accurate to 1% with 95% confidence, allowing for possible duplicate releases and any potential instances of release and delisting in the same year. This does not include Switch 2 upgrade packs: games with an upgrade are counted as solely a Switch 2 release if the pack is a late one (eg: Kirby and the Forgotten Land), or as both a Switch and Switch 2 launch if they occur simultaneously (eg: Metroid Prime 4).
Other fun numbers based on totals assembled here:
So the immediate question becomes: “Will Switch break this record in 2026”? After all, we’ve waited this long for the successor, and now it’s here, so surely that should depress the release count a bit? Not bloody likely. We’re talking about the most shipped hardware in Nintendo company history, and circumstances have conspired to create a situation where a possible Switch 2 Lite just before the next generation of Pokemon launches (a la the 2DS with X and Y and the Switch Lite with Sword and Shield) is completely off the table. It’s kind of hard to create a new hardware form factor when getting RAM is nearly impossible and what is available is sold at market price like fresh seafood. Not to mention Nintendo’s current graphics card provider is either too busy sending money to companies who buy their graphics cards or probably imploding. So the Switch is going to be the budget, kid-friendly option and will get a release count in line with that. Think about how Pokémon Gold and Silver could play on a DMG Game Boy but Crystal was a clear-cart GBC only game; if we’re lucky, we get that and the next Legends game is Switch 2 exclusive.
Plus, it’s apparently stupidly easy to get a Switch dev kit now, based on the number of “fly-by-night developers” that show up on the store every week. I get one Sturgeon’s Law (90% of everything is crap) every year, and in the case of the Switch this year it’s probably closer to 95%. It’s not even like my oft-demanded publisher blacklisting would work; they just spin up a new brand and go from there like it’s 1989 and they’re Ultra Games. I just know that if I see one more game from 17Studio I’m going to demonstrate a very particular set of skills. Did you know there were four games that were unannounced the week of New Year's Day, and that "studio" had three of them?
Some of the things I’ve asked for with the Switch 2 eShop have come to pass, however. At launch I said it was responsive, and that’s still true. The “remove from the wishlist after purchase” option is not only present, but based on my experience with buying Hades II: This Time It’s Persephone a couple of days ago, it’s even been brought to the webstore. Now, we do need more filtering in New Releases, and I don’t just mean in terms of bundles. (Though I would turn that on so fast if offered.) Why is the only system store I can filter for just Switch or Switch 2 the Japanese web store? That’s such basic functionality I’m embarrassed to say it’s still not available. The autoplay graphics / video have to go, and the “For You” still needs the work I brought up in that June review.
Maybe I’ll come back to do this column on New Year’s Eve 2027 and find that the Switch got taken out back and shot, with New Releases being predominantly quality Switch 2 games. But next year could just as easily see 4000 games combined across the two systems as more Switch 2 dev kits get into the hands of people, including those who probably shouldn’t have them.
