Nintendo is making a powerful comeback with its latest Switch console, which already sold more than 10 million units since its release.
The Nintendo Switch hit the market back in March and in just nine months, it got close to the lifetime sales of the Wii U. Nintendo slipped behind rivals with the Wii U, which sold only 13.6 million units in five years, but the Switch seems to be just what the company needed to get back in the game.
Thanks to you, #NintendoSwitch has sold 10 million units worldwide in 9 months! Here’s to an amazing 2018! pic.twitter.com/8OJp1Mktro
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) December 12, 2017
Nintendo Switch Sales Expectations
Nintendo announced at the end of September that it had sold 7.63 million Switch units, and topping 10 million before the holiday season marks another major milestone. The company has high expectations for the new console, estimating that it will ship 14 million units by March 2018. Back in October, the estimate was 10 million units by the end of the fiscal year in March 2018, but since the company already hit that mark, it raised the estimate.
If the Nintendo Switch continues to see strong demand and rack up sales, it will beat the Wii U lifetime sales in just one year on the market. The real challenge will be to outperform the Nintendo Wii, which saw more than 100 million units sold throughout its lifetime.
Nintendo Switch vs Other Gaming Consoles
With 10 million units sold already, the Nintendo Switch could still sell more units than the Wii console did in its first year on the market. However, it would need to keep registering strong sales during the holiday season.
The sales figures for the Nintendo Switch put it on par with the Sony PlayStation 4, which also took roughly nine months to sell 10 million units. The PS4 is still going strong after four years on the market, as Sony has recently announced that it sold more than 70 million PS4 units so far. Microsoft is still keeping mum about its Xbox sales.
The Nintendo Switch has also faced several shortages so far, but Nintendo executives pledge to have enough supply to meet demand during the lucrative holiday shopping season. Gaming consoles are typically among the most popular items in holiday sales and the Nintendo Switch is expected to see a spike in demand.
Reggie Fils-Aimé, Nintendo of America president and COO, says that Nintendo's supply chain is "very robust" and new stock is reaching stores and online retailers every day. The executive says that the console is currently in stock both online at various retailers such as Target, as well as in physical retail stores such as GameStop locations.
