Nintendo Switch Now Fastest-Selling Home Video Game System Of All Time In U.S.
It’s official! The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling home video game system of all time in the U.S. with 4.8 million sold since March 3, 2017. The previous record holder was the Wii with more than 4 million sold in the same timeframe.
More than 60% of Switch users own Super Mario Odyssey – a stellar achievement as it’s only been on the market for a little over two months. Winner of countless game of the year awards, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is owned by more than 55% of Switch owners. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has an over 50% attach rate and Splatoon 2 more than 20% in the U.S.
Now, the question is, can the Switch continue to sell at this pace? That will depend largely on the library of games it builds throughout 2018.
Nintendo Switch has become the fastest-selling home video game system in U.S. history. The home console that players can take wherever they go launched March 3, 2017, and in 10 months has sold more than 4.8 million units in the United States, according to Nintendo’s internal sales figures. That’s the highest total for the first 10 months of any home video game system in U.S. history, surpassing Nintendo’s own Wii system, which was the previous record holder with more than 4 million units sold during the same timeframe.
“Fans across the country have experienced the joy of playing their favorite games at home or on the go,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond.”
A strong library of games continues to fuel momentum for Nintendo Switch. In the U.S., more than 60 percent of Nintendo Switch owners have Super Mario Odyssey, and over 55 percent own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Not only are these games system-sellers, but they’re also two of the highest-rated games in history. Nintendo Switch owners also possess the fun, competitive games Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2 at rates of more than 50 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
More than 300 games created by third-party developers have already launched for Nintendo Switch. These include big-name brands like FIFA 18 from Electronic Arts, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Just Dance 2018 from Ubisoft, Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition from Mojang, L.A. Noire from Rockstar Games, NBA 2K18from 2K Games, Sonic Mania from SEGA, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers from Capcom, Rocket League from Psyonix and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and DOOM from Bethesda. Nintendo Switch has also received strong support from indie developers, with a steady stream of favorites like SteamWorld Dig 2 from Image & Form, Golf Story from Sidebar Games, Overcooked Special Edition from Team17 Digital Ltd and Stardew Valley from Chucklefish LTD.
This year, Nintendo Switch owners can look forward to Nintendo-published games like Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and a new game starring Yoshi. Fans can also expect continued support from major publishers such as EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, SEGA, Take 2 and Bethesda, plus a growing catalog of quality content from indie developers.
Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/switch/.
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
