Although Nintendo officially pulled the plug on the NES Classic Edition, the wildly popular throwback console is still overwhelmingly demanded. Or at least that's what NPD's results for April imply.
NPD: Best-Selling Consoles In April
Believe it or not, the NES Classic Edition managed to push more units than the PlayStation 4 in the United States this past April, which is an impressive feat for a console that's technically dead already.
For the uninitiated, Nintendo recently halted production of the NES Classic Edition — because the gaming market is fickle and it sometimes gets consumer demand wrong. The news was met with riotous disappointment, especially because it marked the end to a streak of unmet demand for the wee console.
Still, it appears many people still clamored for it back in April, resulting in bigger NES Classic Edition sales than the PlayStation 4. What's more, Nintendo actually owned the console market last month, with the hybrid console Switch selling the most units, and the NES Classic Edition coming in at second place.
NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said the Switch was the catalyst for the overall market growth last month, which recorded a 10 percent increase of $636 million. Similarly, hardware sales saw a 37 percent growth, with numbers increasing to $195 million.
NPD: Best Selling Games In April
NPD says console software sales increased 6 percent, with figures reaching $304 million. Nintendo is yet again at the top of this list, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Switch selling the most units in April.
Here are some of the best-selling games in April in the United States, which includes digital sales. However, it's worth noting that digital sales for Nintendo titles aren't accounted for.
1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
2. Persona 5
3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
4. MLB 17: The Show
5. Ghost Recon Wildlands
6. Grand Theft Auto V
7. Mass Effect Andromeda
8. NBA 2K17
9. Overwatch
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
What NES Classic Edition Sales Mean
Nintendo isn't going to revive the NES Classic Edition anytime soon, so gamers shouldn't hold their breath for that. But if the recent NPD results prove anything, it's that there's certainly a significant demand for Nintendo's older systems.
The company has always, in one way or another, tried to refresh its old franchises for the modern gaming world. Gleaning on this pattern alone, the next seemingly logical step is for it to release the SNES Classic Edition — and most importantly, make sure it meets consumer demand.
If and when Nintendo releases such a console, gamers have to hope that it'll come with a low price point, just as the NES Classic Edition did. This makes sense, since it's safe to assume that one of the NES Classic Edition's many merits is its $60 price tag. Time, however, will tell.
Thoughts about NES Classic Edition sales this past April? Do you think Nintendo could release the SNES Classic Edition? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
