The Switch, Nintendo's newest hybrid console released March 3, has become the company's fastest-selling video game console in its history, as informed by just-released sales figures by NPD, an industry-tracking firm.
Nintendo Switch Sales Figures
In March, the company sold more than 906,000 units in the United States alone. Needless to say that the Switch is a big hit.
By contrast, Microsoft sold more than 2 million Xbox One units during its first 18 days of availability, while Sony sold 2.1 million PlayStation 4 units during the console's first 14 days, according to reports. Both of these consoles, however, were released in the holiday season, the traditional release window for consoles.
The Switch sales figures are impressive because it was released in March, a time when there's typically no interest or consumer buzz for systems, let alone a brand-new one that had only begun being advertised in October.
It's also worth noting that the Switch outsold both the PS4 and the Xbox One in March. The demand for Switch has outpaced both expectation and supply, and positive sales figures have lead Nintendo to produce more units by the end of its fiscal year in 2018, upping the supply number to 16 million.
Nintendo previously revealed that the Switch sold more units in a two-day launch window than any of its previous consoles — including the Wii, its best-selling home console, released 2006, also during the holiday season, at that.
Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sales Figures
Of course, that's not without some help. Switch sales would be lower without any significant aid, and that came in the form of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a long-anticipated Zelda title released alongside the console. Nintendo confirmed that the game sold 1.3 million copies, 925,000 of which were for the Switch, and the rest were sold for the Wii U.
Yes, you read that right. Every person who bought the Switch also bought Breath of the Wild, which translates to a 100 percent attach rate, perhaps even more, presumably because of those who preordered a Master Edition of the game who also bought a separate standalone copy. This figure might also include people who preordered the game but wasn't able to find a Switch unit anywhere in the first month of its availability.
Nintendo also confirmed that Breath of the Wild is its fastest-selling launch title ever in the United States.
"Nintendo always strives to offer consumers something fun, new and different," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's president. "With its various play modes and the innovative features of the Joy-Con controllers, Nintendo Switch provides unique experiences that people can take with them anywhere and share with anyone."
The Switch's future is looking good. Perhaps Nintendo has finally learned its lessons from the whole Wii U debacle. It even shows in Nintendo's marketing efforts for the Switch, promoting the console during this year's Super Bowl and hosting demo events across the country. If Nintendo keeps this up, the Switch is poised to become successful, especially with future Mario and Pokémon titles that'll inevitably be released on the hybrid.
If all 16 million Switch units to be produced by the end of its fiscal year will be sold, then the Switch will already become more successful than the Wii U, which only sold a little over 13 million units during its whole lifespan. If it plays its cards right, the Switch could become the comeback Nintendo needs.
Thoughts about the Switch's sales figures? Do you think Nintendo's newest console will be successful as the Wii had been? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
