The Switch Is Officially Nintendo's Second-Best-Selling Console
In just four years, the Nintendo Switch has climbed the ranks of the gaming giant's sales and is now the company's second-best-selling console of all time. With 2020 being a write-off for the gaming industry as the whole, Nintendo emerged as the unlikely victor. As well as being the best-selling console in the USA last year, the Switch also had its biggest October since launch. Not bad in a time that COVID-19 ravaged the industry AND Sony and Microsoft duked it out with their next-gen consoles.
Even if there are those that think the battle of the consoles is just limited to PlayStation and Xbox, it's important to remember Nintendo's place as a family-friendly and more cost-effective way of gaming. Part of the Switch's appeal is the fact it can serve as a home entertainment system when docked, while doubling up as a portable console when on the go. Being a hybrid of what Nintendo has done so well since the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1983, means the Switch is a triple threat.
Is the Nintendo Switch the best-selling console?
According to video game insider, Mat Piscatella, the Nintendo Switch had another bumper month in February. He went on to explain that as of February 2021, the Switch has overtaken the Nintendo DS in terms of sales in the USA. This makes the Switch Nintendo's second-best-selling console in the USA, with it trailing behind the unrivalled sales of the Nintendo Wii. Elsewhere, the PlayStation 5 has the honour of being the "fastest-selling hardware platform in U.S. history", however, is in second place to the Switch with sales in February.
Even this year, we've seen another spike in Switch sales thanks to the release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Even though some criticised it as being little more than a revamp of 2013's Super Mario 3D World, it was a huge hit for the console and even saw it overtake Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War in terms of sales for February. Looking at the future, there's also plenty of hype surrounding The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 and a possible sequel to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Considering 2017's Mario Kart title is STILL one of the console's biggest sellers, you can only imagine a new game would have Mario laughing all the way to the bank.
What's next for the Nintendo Switch's sales?
Although no figures were provided, Piscatella said the Switch is the seventh best-selling console in the USA's "tracked history". Nintendo has always had great success with its portable consoles, which might explain why the Switch has done so well. Looking at the best of the rest, the Nintendo DS is in third, while the Nintendo 3DS is hot on its heels in fourth. The fact that the Nintendo Wii was a home system makes it an anomaly, but remember that it helped popularise motion controls and was a groundbreaking console in its own right.
Unfortunately, the record-breaking success of the Wii didn't translate to the Wii U - which doesn't even rank in the USA's best-selling consoles. The Switch has just passed its four-year anniversary and is still on an upward trajectory. If it continues at this pace, there's every chance the pint-sized favourite could overtake the Wii. We also need to remember those continued rumours of a Nintendo Switch Pro that could boast a bigger screen and 4K capabilities before the end of the year/start of next year to give the sales another kick up the backside. Now that the Nintendo Switch has left the DS in the dust, we'll have to wait and see if the Wii is also destined to fall from its throne of pixels.
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