The Nintendo Switch Has Achieved A Huge Record
The Nintendo Switch has now moved into #3 in the all-time sales of consoles, as the handheld console has sold 122 million units since releasing in 2017.
Nintendo Switch had a very successful run following its release, with it being the best-selling console of the previous and current generation—mainly due to the semiconductor shortages caused by the pandemic, which have caused the absence of all major consoles from the market. Now, the most popular handheld in the world has become the third best-selling console in the world.
According to IGN, Nintendo’s latest financial results have confirmed something we all knew was coming—the hybrid handheld sold over 122 million units since launch in 2017. This places Nintendo Switch above Sony’s PlayStation 4, which sold over 117 million units, and Nintendo’s GameBoy console, which sold upwards of 118 million units during its lifecycle. Nintendo also predicts an additional 18 million in sales, which is still constricted by the ongoing chip shortage, for the company’s current fiscal year.
If things continue down this path, an additional 18 million in sales will round up the aforementioned number to 140 million units sold, bringing Nintendo closer to Nintendo DS sales numbers, which count over 154 million units sold. Of course, it also brings the handheld close to the sales numbers of the world’s best-selling console, the legendary PlayStation 2. Given that the current sales are going strong despite shortages, it’s safe to assume that Switch has the potential to grasp the all-time crown if Nintendo doesn’t introduce a successor console.
And that might be the reason why the company still clings to Nintendo Switch, despite its dated hardware. Sure, the OLED version of the console introduced some hardware revisions, but those aren’t enough to keep the console on par with the current generation of gaming hardware. Sure, Sony might be recuperating from the shortages, having announced that more consoles would become available, but if Nintendo’s sales continue down this path, an all-time crown becomes a real possibility.
Snatching the all-time crown from Sony would be a massive success for Nintendo since the company hasn’t been in the dominant position in the console market since 1992. Also, the success of Nintendo Switch is an incredible turnaround for Nintendo, given that everything went downhill for Nintendo’s console sales since Sony launched the original PlayStation, which had much more powerful hardware compared to the contemporary Nintendo 64. That spiraling slope of disasters culminated with the unbelievably poor Wii U console sales, with the console flopping to a meager 13 million units sold.
With everything said, Switch sales have been slowing down, and there’s an open question regarding how many major first-party titles will remain to fuel the console. The upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom just dropped a new trailer showcasing Link’s new powers; the game is scheduled to launch in May. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are continuing to pump out new content, and other major titles are still performing relatively well compared to the overall state of the gaming market and industry.
So, in conclusion, we can expect that Nintendo Switch will remain relevant in the current market for at least a year from now, perhaps even two. And it’s not outside the realm of possibilities for Switch to become an all-time best-seller.
