Released on March 3, the Nintendo Switch console has now reportedly managed to push 1.5 million units, which is an impressive figure for its first week, especially considering that Nintendo's overall sales projection for March is just 2 million. The Nintendo Switch seems set to pass that mark altogether, possibly even sooner than expected.
Nintendo Switch Sales Breakdown
According to reports, 500,000 Switch units were sold in the United States alone, with 360,000 in Japan, 85,000 in the UK, and 110,000 in France.
Those numbers were compiled by SuperData, culling figures from both Famitsu and GfK, a market research firm. SuperData also states that 89 percent of everyone who bought a Switch also bought Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the system's most anticipated launch games. The percentage indicates that 1.34 million units of the game were sold, excluding sales figures for the game's Wii U version, notably.
Most of these numbers, however, just allude to the system's first week of sales, and GamesIndustry.biz suggests that the numbers could very well be higher if subsequent sales are accounted for. The figure also measures actual systems sold to customers, instead of the number of systems shipped to retailers.
Could The Switch Be Nintendo's Next Wii?
In spite of the hybrid console's healthy initial sales, it's still very early to make judgements regarding its long-term success. For the record, however, Nintendo has reported that the Switch has become the fastest-selling console ever in the company's history, which, while suggestive of healthy sales prospects, isn't new phenomenon. The now-discontinued Wii U, for instance, saw huge initial sales before dying down to a halt due to a drought of games. If Nintendo's strategy for releasing system-selling titles piecemeal to maintain hype for the console works, then the Switch could easily take home another win for the company.
At the very least, the Switch's fanfare seems to suggest that even with the Wii U's failure to capture a huge chunk of the gaming market, Nintendo is still a very much welcome presence in the gaming sphere, even if its products are relatively underpowered compared with that of Sony and Microsoft, with the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, respectively.
Of course, as with any gaming console, it's going to come down to the games. Nintendo's strength rests particularly on its lineup of beloved first-party titles, such as Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Metroid, and Super Mario — the latest adventure of which, dubbed Odyssey, will arrive for the Switch during the holidays.
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid console that offers both traditional home console play and a handheld mode. Its selling point is the "switch" between the two — just slide the system out of its dock and you have yourself the power of a home console that can be taken anywhere.
After the Wii U debacle, Nintendo has visibly upped its game in terms of Switch advertising, securing a spot in the recently concluded Super Bowl, setting up "Unexpected Places" Switch booths, and reaching out to as many consumers as possible via tech demos in various countries.
The Nintendo Switch is available now for $299.
