‘Nintendo Labo’ First Week Sales Sluggish in Japan, U.K.

It appears “Nintendo Labo” is struggling to find an audience. It sold through only 30% of its initial shipment in Japan its first week, according to sales tracker Media Create (translated by Siliconera).

The educational cardboard construction kits are peripherals for the Nintendo Switch. The Toy-Con 01: Variety Kit costs $69.99 and comes with a physical version of the “Labo” software and five projects: two RC cars, a fishing rod, a house, a motorbike, and a piano. The Toy-Con 02: Robot Kit is $79.99 and comes with the software plus a buildable, wearable mech suit.

“Labo” launched on April 20 worldwide and sold about 119,000 units in Japan its opening week, Media Create said. The Variety Kit sold over 90,000 units, while the Robot Kit sold nearly 29,000 units. The launch apparently didn’t help Nintendo sell Switches, either. Media Create said the console’s sales saw a slight drop from the previous week.

Meanwhile, “Labo” failed to dethrone Sony exclusive “God of War” in the UK. The Variety Kit came in at number three on the nation’s physical games chart for the week ending April 28, according to GameSpot. The Robot Kit debuted at number 20. Ubisoft’s open world first-person shooter “Far Cry 5” maintained its number two position.

There’s no word yet on how well “Labo” sold in the U.S. its first week. Nintendo and NPD have not responded to Variety’s request for comment.

“Nintendo Labo” was probably always going to be a charmingly niche product. It’s odd and experimental. It’s also expensive to both buy and replace. But, Media Create points out that it has educational value, so it will be interesting to see how it performs during Japan’s Golden Week and the summer holidays.

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