Nintendo Switch Fastest Selling Video Game System Of This Generation
The Nintendo Switch is officially the fastest selling video game system of this generation. According to the NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the U.S., from March 2017 through November 2018 the Nintendo Switch has sold more than 8.7 million units in the U.S. in its first 21 months on the market.
Nintendo is the top-selling U.S. software publisher for 2018 and when December is calculated into the mix with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, we expect them to stay number 1. Speaking of Smash, it has sold over 3 million copies in the U.S. in just 11 days, making it the fastest selling Switch game of all time as well as within that franchise.
Even though Nintendo may still have trouble hitting their goal of 20 million Switches sold in this fiscal year, it’s undeniable that they’re performing fantastically in the crucial holiday season. Evergreen titles (like Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey) continue to sell extremely well and the Pokémon: Let’s Go games have already topped 2 million in their first month on the market in the U.S. Read on for the full press release:
OFFICIAL PR:
Nintendo Switch has become the fastest-selling video game system of this hardware generation through 21 months, according to The NPD Group, which tracks video game sales in the United States. From its launch in March 2017 through November 2018, Nintendo Switch has sold more than 8.7 million units, outpacing U.S. sales of all other current-generation systems at the same point in their life cycles.
Nintendo is also the overall top-selling U.S. software publisher so far for 2018, according to NPD data through November. This performance should receive an additional boost from the December release of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, which has become not only the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game of all time, but also the fastest-selling game in the Super Smash Bros. series, with U.S. sales of over 3 million units in just 11 days, according to Nintendo’s internal sales data.
“We are thrilled to see such a strong reaction from consumers in the second holiday season for Nintendo Switch,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We’re looking forward to delivering more excitement and smiles to our fans in the coming year and beyond.”
The following data from Nintendo of America is specific to the U.S. only:
- Nintendo hardware unit and dollar sales for 2018 are at their highest annual totals since 2011.
- Nintendo eShop sales have grown 105 percent over 2017.
- Evergreen Nintendo Switch games have set new milestones, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling over 4 million and 5 million units, respectively. Super Mario Odyssey has sold over 4.7 million units.
- In addition to the fast-selling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, other recently released games that continue to make a splash include Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee! , which together total 2 million units, and Super Mario Party at 1.4 million.
Remember that Nintendo Switch features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://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.
