Nintendo Switch, is currently the third best-selling device of all the hardware products the company has launched, reaching 3,29 million units sold in the first quarter of 2020, closed on March 31. This corresponds to 33% growth in retail sales worldwide, surpassing the combined sales of the iconic Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube, and is above average compared to the legendary Super Nintendo, which it falls further behind.
Analyzing the figures
Speaking in absolute numbers, Nintendo Switch It has achieved 55,77 million units sold, while the N64 achieved 32,93 million and the GameCube 21,74 million. At this rate, barring any large-scale unforeseen events, Nintendo Switch is also expected to surpass the NES, to date, the second best-selling desktop console in the company's history: the Switch is "only" 6,14 million units behind.
Much of this success can be attributed to the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced a large part of the world's population to isolate themselves at home, which is why the governments of different countries promote practices that avoid contact with other people. , to prevent the disease from spreading until the virus can be kept under control.
In the midst of this adverse situation, People began to look for new distractions and entertainment options just as Nintendo released the charming and addictive Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which, according to market analysis company NPD Group, has already reached the 13 million copy mark in just six weeks since release. The figure is even more impressive considering that, being a Switch exclusive game, it beats other multiplatform heavyweights such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
In addition, other major titles came to Switch in the past year, such as Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX and an update to its fitness game Ring Fit Adventure, which had its own sales boost after the start of COVID-19. Lastly, the company added new classics to download through its Switch Online platform that requires a monthly subscription for free game downloads.
Nintendo's success with the Switch It is so big that the console had already surpassed its competitors PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Nintendo bestsellers
Nintendo is no stranger to high-volume sales, although it occupies a different position than its main competitors. Virtually all of the company's games are exclusive to their own platforms, which in theory reduces their market reach. However, the number of console franchises owned by Nintendo contributes as one of the main selling factors for its devices. So much so that, in the history of the Japanese company, the seven best-selling consoles are:
- Wii (101.63 million units)
- NES (61,91 million units)
- Nintendo Switch (55,77 million units)
- Super NES (49,10 million units)
- Nintendo 64 (32,93 million units)
- GameCube (21,74 million units)
- Wii U (13,56 million units)
Regarding the portable console industry, the data is as follows:
- Nintendo DS (154,02 million units)
- Game Boy Advance (81,51 million units)
- Nintendo 3DS 75,71 million units)
- Game Boy (69,42 million units)
- Game Boy Color (49,27 million units)
There are no successor consoles for now
The year 2020 will be marked, in the gaming industry, by the launch of new consoles by Microsoft and Sony: both promise a new generation of video game hardware by the end of this year, when the Christmas holiday season begins and, consequently, an increase in retail sales. Microsoft will bring the Xbox X series, while Sony will debut the PlayStation 5.
However, Nintendo has coldly analyzed the figures and sales rate of its Nintendo Switch and has declared that it has no intention of launching a successor for the moment. During a conference with investors in Japan, Nintendo President and CEO Shuntaro Furukawa stated bluntly: "Please understand that we do not intend to release a new model of the Nintendo Switch in 2020." According to the executive, the company will give preference to creating new ways to make the current console even more attractive to its audience.
Expert in SEO/SEM and communication on social networks.
CEO at tecnologia.net and passionate about everything related to technological progress
