The full unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World and more on April 2nd has had a knock-on effect on multiple Nintendo mobile apps.
Leading the pack, the Nintendo Switch Online app saw a 109% daily download surge on April 2nd, according to Sensor Tower data, likely triggered by its appearance in the Switch 2 Direct.
The app was downloaded almost 23,000 times that day – its highest daily total since the Christmas period of 2024 – and reached higher still on April 3rd. It went on to be installed 172,000 times over the 10 days between April 2nd and April 11th.
The app was downloaded fewer than 114,000 over the 10 days prior to the Direct.
Notably, Nintendo confirmed that one online membership will span both Switch generations with extra perks on Switch 2, potentially encouraging original Switch owners to subscribe ahead of the next console’s release – and download the app early.
The app can also be used with limited functionality without a membership.
The Nintendo Switch Online app was also confirmed to be receiving a major update this May, when its name is expected to change to Nintendo Switch App.
Mobile medley
Nintendo Music’s daily installs also spiked on April 2nd, up 28% compared to April 1st. Like the Nintendo Switch Online app, this spike peaked on April 3rd but didn't surpass previous records.
Though the music app wasn’t highlighted in the presentation, its availability on iOS and Android is exclusive to paying Nintendo Switch Online members, further suggesting an uptick in subscribers now eligible for the install.
The recently released Nintendo Today app didn’t see any surge following the Switch 2 Direct, however. It was launched as a bite-sized daily news source on March 27th, 2025 promising information on all Nintendo IPs from Mario to Fire Emblem to Xenoblade Chronicles.
As for Nintendo's mobile games, Super Mario Run, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp: Complete and Pikmin Bloom appeared largely unaffected in downloads or revenue by the Switch 2 Direct.
Mario Kart Tour also missed out on any boost, having gone unmentioned in the Switch 2 presentation despite Mario Kart World’s prominence. In fact, the mobile Mario Kart title was downloaded fewer times in the 10 days following the Direct than it was over the 10 days before.
However, gross player spending did increase on April 2nd, up almost 18% to $44,500. While excitement for Mario Kart World may have played a role, the date also coincided with a rerun of 2023’s in-game event Yoshi Tour.
The result appears contrary to Nintendo's rhetoric around using mobile as a marketing tool more than a revenue source – bringing Nintendo IPs to more players through mobile games rather than purely making money on the platform.
Nintendo’s most successful mobile game, Fire Emblem Heroes, saw a 21% spending surge over the 10 days following the Direct.
Although, like Mario Kart Tour, this could have been more so a result of in-game events and new gacha characters, especially considering the Fire Emblem franchise’s absence from the presentation. New characters were also added on April 4th.
