Nintendo Switch Crowned Fastest-Selling Game Console For This Generation
There was plenty of pre-launch skepticism regarding Nintendo's Switch console, a hybrid game system that can sit in a dock connected to a big screen television, or be played on the go like a mobile device. However, there's now little question that Nintendo made the right the decision. Lest there be any lingering doubt, chew on this—the Nintendo Switch has sold more than 8.7 units since it launched in March 2017 through November 2018.
That number is likely even higher now that we're midway through December. Regardless, the Nintendo Switch is outpacing sales of every other current-generation game system in the US during the same point in their respective life cycles. That means the Switch has notched more unit sales than either the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 during the first 20 months of availability.
"We are thrilled to see such a strong reaction from consumers in the second holiday season for Nintendo Switch," said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We’re looking forward to delivering more excitement and smiles to our fans in the coming year and beyond."
The Switch isn't nearly as powerful as the Xbox One or PS4, let alone the Xbox One X or PlayStation 4 Pro variants. However, it now has a strong catalog of games. That wasn't always the case. When we reviewed the Switch, we noted that the only interesting game at the time was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As amazing as that game was (and still is), the Switch initially suffered from a lack of blockbuster games.
That has changed in a big way. Even just narrowing the field to first-party titles, there are several fun games to choose from, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for example, has sold over 5 million units, and Super Mario Odyssey isn't far behind at 4.7 million units. There's also little doubt that the highly-anticipated and fast-selling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game will be equally successful, if not more so.
Nintendo is actually the overall top-selling software publisher in the US this year, based on NPD data through November. It's likely to finish the year in the top spot too, as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is both the fastest-selling game in the Super Smash Bros. series, and also the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, with sales of over 3 million units in just 11 days.
