I knew sales on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop would be off to a flying start, with numerous fantastic games coming to the console on day one, including Nintendo's very own Mario Kart World, which, presumably, would pick up the most sales, right? Wrong. In a digital sense, at least, as Mario and pals faced some tough competition. Sure, it beat the likes of Minecraft and No Man's Sky, but in a report with sales from six regions, it's in third place. Deltarune reigned supreme with the most digital sales on the Switch 2 in June.
Newzoo's report, featuring data from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, concludes that Deltarune got off to a flying start, beating the new Mario game in spectacular fashion, but let's be fair to Mario, he still got the top spot for eShop sales for Switch 2 exclusives. While I'm surprised, perhaps I shouldn't be, we've all been waiting for the release of the new Deltarune chapters for a long time now, and it's only natural for all of the pent-up hype to flood out in the form of strong sales.
Our Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 review gave the pair a solid 8/10, with our very own Connor Christie claiming that "Deltarune Chapters 3 and 4 offer more of the extraordinary boss battles, mind-bending minigames, and side-splitting dialogue you've come to expect from Toby Fox." Funnily enough, Connor is also the writer behind our Mario Kart World review, giving it a 9/10, and stating that it's already his "favorite Mario Kart game to date." Looking at the sales, our Hardware Editor has an impeccable taste in games, apparently.
However, while I can concede that perhaps Toby Fox's latest chapters deserve such praise, I'd be lying if I said I'm not flabbergasted at the second game to topple Mario in digital sales last month.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour got a below average 4/10 from me in my Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour review, with me likening it to a school trip to the museum: "you're not all that bothered about being there, but it beats algebra, and there's still that one kid who's really into it." It does cost a modest $9.99 / £7.99, though, so perhaps that's what helped with its digital sales, even if I still firmly believe Nintendo should have included it with all consoles. Hey, if Sony could do it with Astro's Playroom, Nintendo certainly could have done it with Welcome Tour.
If we look at monthly active users (MAU) across both the Switch 1 and 2, neither Deltarune nor Welcome Tour cracks the top five, but there are two Mario games in there; one being Mario Kart World and the other Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which are in first and third place, respectively. In between the two is Fortnite, but considering industry experts consider the battle royale game to be the biggest competitor for any new game, that's hardly a surprise.
Content such as the Fortnite Fantastic Four crossover and the Fortnite Superman powers helps to keep the game fresh and exciting for players, even if the Fortnite Christmas skins became available in July. Hey, I'm not complaining, I'm all for feeling jolly all year.
Should you be one of the many players enjoying Deltarune, we have numerous guides to help out, including ones for the Deltarune Chapter 3 secret boss, the Deltarune Chapter 4 secret boss, and Deltarune Chapter 4's piano. Just please don't ask me about the stamps in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour.