Nintendo surprised the world with the announcement of the Nintendo Switch in October 2016, and the video game industry has never been the same since then.
Here's a look back at the year that the hybrid console had in 2017.
The Hype For The Nintendo Switch Launch
In January, a research firm predicted that Nintendo will sell 40 million units of the Nintendo Switch by the end of 2020.
The figure was definitely a possible one, given all the hype surrounding the hybrid console since its announcement. In fact, when Nintendo Switch preorders opened, they were almost immediately sold out.
However, despite all the buzz surrounding the Nintendo Switch, there were two important questions for the hybrid console. How will it perform against the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and will Nintendo be able to keep up with the massive Nintendo Switch demand?
Nintendo Switch Supply Shortage
The early impressions on the Nintendo Switch were mostly positive, further increasing demand for the hybrid console. Unfortunately, for the first several months since its March 3 launch, Nintendo was simply unable to roll out enough supply.
The Nintendo Switch supply shortage was expected to last for the rest of 2017, with Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime even claiming in September that the crunch might last through the holidays.
The Nintendo Switch supply is thankfully much better now compared to the hybrid console's launch month.
The Amazing Nintendo Switch Games
Fueling the intense demand for the Nintendo Switch are its amazing games starting with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as its launch title.
The launch schedules of the most popular Nintendo Switch games have kept the momentum of the hybrid console strong through the year. After the March release of Breath of the Wild, Nintendo rolled out Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in April followed by Splatoon 2 in July. Super Mario Odyssey then arrived in October to lead the Nintendo Switch into the holidays.
What Does 2018 Hold For The Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo recently said that it has already sold 10 million units of the Nintendo Switch since its March launch, a figure that will keep rising as the company promised to ramp up Nintendo Switch production next year.
Nintendo Switch owners will have even more games to look forward to in 2018 including Bayonetta 1 and 2, Lost Sphear, Payday 2, Terraria, Metroid Prime 4, Kirby Star Allies, and a new Yoshi game. There are also rumors that Super Smash Bros.for the Nintendo Switch is finally happening.
The Nintendo Switch had a great 2017 but with better supply and more amazing games, 2018 might be an even better year for the hybrid console.
