Nintendo Switch Has Surpassed The Wii's Lifetime Sales In The US

And it’s all thanks to the calculator game. Such a legendary release.

the switch cannot be stopped

Where’s Netflix

@sixrings netflix? never heard of it

@Tyranexx I miss Iwata so much

I wish Iwata could have seen this after the wii u. I know he took a deep personal responsibility for the failures at the time, but the concept seeded the switch. Perhaps he wondered if Nintendo wouldn't see the glory days again? But here we are in this Golden age.

og, better battery, lite, and oled

The Nintendo Switch is switching up position and everyone else is going down!!!
"We're going down, I'm yelling Timbeeerrr 🎼
You better move, you better dance.🎹
Let's make a night, you won't remembeeerrrr🎼
I'll be the one, you wont forget.🎹" - Ke$ha

@FlyingPoliceBox "I'll do you one better, why is Netflix?"

If that Switch Pro doesn't come soon they'll have a hard time overtaking the DS.

Switch will overtake the DS within 2 years, mark my words.
Super Mario Wonder is coming.

@loco_max

@Not_Soos As do I. He is still very much missed.

@MeloMan we need the super switch 2 pro max or else nintendo is kill!!!!!

I am wondering about how many homes owned a Wii versus a Switch. For the Wii, a house might’ve had one or two systems with multiple Wiimotes, whereas a Switch might see a console for each user (particularly the Lite model), effectively lowering the percentage of homes with a Switch versus a Wii.

Congrats on its success though. I’m hoping it continues to sell well.

The real challenge left now is to see if the Switch can overtake the DS, even if it's within one region.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sold 55 mil. Damn. No wonder we ain't see a new entry on switch. Didn't need one.

Yep. Bought myself an OLED this year. And bought my wife the TotK OLED. Sold one OG Switch. Kept the other OG Switch.

I gave my funds to the cause. Bought a little more stock too.

An impressive feat and without any price drops! I was impressed with the Xbox 360 sales then I realized how many ppl got the dreaded Red Ring Of Death..so lots of resale through faulty hardware. PS2 was known mainly for its DVD capabilities, easy to pirate and it too had its own faulty disc drives so its sales numbers are a bit skewed as well. The joy con drift issues were criminal but I’ll give Nintendo credit their actual hardware systems are the most reliable of the big 3

I am very happy with my Switch. Might be my number 1 console, and I've been playing these things since 1985. I don't know how they top it. My suggestion would be "same, but betterer." This is why I don't work at Nintendo.

why launch it sucessor now?when Switch is still selling well, Switch surpassing the PS2 sales and becoming the best selling hardware of all time, is not a question of if, but when this gonna happen, Super Mario Bros Wonder will easily make Switch sell 14/16 milions consoles and the game will be the best selling game of the franchise

Congratulations to the Switch! This bodes well. Like with the Wii, I look forward to being able to readily and affordably obtain consoles, games, and accessories on the secondhand market in about 5 years thanks to the massive quantity of product in circulation here in the States.

That's crazy numbers for 1st party titles, exclusive games always sales hardware, congrats for nintendo 😃

The Switch is Nintendo's iPhone. Keep going with it, but beef up the specs every couple of years. Don't mess too much with the concept.

I wonder if this system has any roguelite metroidvanias?

@loco_max You beat me to it! (The why Netflix line that is)

I grew up on Wii, only just bought a Switch when the OLED model released and I can honestly say that both consoles are fantastic! (Not knocking my 2DS but it can’t hold a candle to what the two of these accomplished in the game industry!)

@sixrings you have to up for there subscription! 😁
But I would be caution it isn’t cheap. 😎

Preferred the Wii & Wii U personally

Let TotK be the Swan song. Switch 2 Electric Boogaloo.

quite interesting that it hasn't surpassed the 360 there yet, since the switch passed it worldwide ages ago.... didn't realise the 360 was such a phenomenom (i have a 360 in a ps-country (netherlands)

Contrasting US to global sales is pretty interesting. The Switch had already surpassed the Wii globally a while ago, years ago even(?), so for it to only now surpass it in the US is not something I expected. Also, it's crazy how Japan with less than half the population has more than half the amount of Switch sales as the US does.

@chiefeagle02 interesting thought about number of households.

We have 3 Switches in my house (one each for me, son and daughter).

We only ever had one Wii and Wii U.

Consoles are different to handhelds and the Switch clearly bridges them both. But I would say that as kids me and my brothers all had our own Game Boys (+DS/3DS) but we shared consoles, so I think it’s a similar concept.

With the marketing of Nintendo (it’s prominent on kids TV), the increase of their brand recognition from the Mario Movie, all the social media kids consume these days, plus the fact friends can bring their Switch anywhere and introduce it to friends who haven’t got one. I’d say the Switch has a higher global impact/recognition than the Wii, although the Wii might have had a more cultural/revolutionary impact with its introduction to motion controls. I mean, even my grandparents played Wii at Christmas.

It’s an interesting thought when you consider which one reached the most people.

I wonder if switch is going to run out of steam now. Will be unlikely to pass any other device now surely. Is still ?20 mil behind ds and ps2. Still an amazing effort especially to bounce back from WiiU. I do recall after WiiU failed people talking about the financial war chest they still had after the success of the Wii. Surely Nintendo has many $$$s in the bank now

Still pretty sure Wii was in more homes. People have just gotten really gullible and will rebuy a console because the plastic has a different pattern printed on it (that also rubs off from the oil on your hands LMAO).

The Switch sales might dethrone Wii sales, but I still found code in box, streaming only, partial download from certain Switch games that made me turned off by those dirty business practice and not to mention the Switch version oftenly get the worst version for certain 3rd party multi console games.
I thought Switch hardware in this year was already outdated.

I've said it ages ago, but the Switch can go on to become the best selling console of all time! It's dominating Japan, the UK software charts are unrecognisable for long periods of time and it's performing solidly in the US. I agree with others that they have such a high profile right now, that I can't see them not have an outstanding holiday season. And I can't think of a more fitting tribute to Mr Iwata than being the mind behind Nintendo's biggest success. X

@Anti-Matter Do you actually own a Switch??

Wii played so that U could see the switch succeed.

One record after the other for the Switch and Nintendo. Congratulations! I love this console very much.

As long as the Switch sees continued sales success, it becomes harder to predict the successor console.

@GrailUK
Yes, indeed.
My Switch is launch model V1, bought on 24 December 2017 and still keep playing until today.
But, at the same time, I also found something not good from Switch games release with those dirty business practice and obvious downgraded quality, after 6 years owning Switch I thought I will not invest the 3rd party multi console games on Switch version, instead I will pick the PS4 / PS5 version for better performance.
I still support my Switch with different games choice (1st party + 3rd party exclusive + 1st / 3rd party remastered from older machines) , so it's win win solution for both my Switch and PS4 + PS5.

The reason my comment about Switch sales dethroned Wii sales a little bit sour because the Switch success that I saw also followed by the flaws that made me disappointed after owning Switch for 6 years and keep finding the dirty business practice from Switch games distribution.

More ppl more sales

@ancientlii same battery, more efficient processor

@romanista We all had to buy 3 to 5 because of the RRoD, will take a while to catch up to that

@MeloMan Switch Pro isnt happening at this stage. You been hiding under a rock? Lol. Its just the successor now, Switch 2 or whatever they end up calling it.

So with that in mind, the Switchs best chance of overtaking the DS is for Nintendo to hold back from announcing the successor until after this Xmas, so that Switch 1 is still in high demand over this years festive period.

Switch is projected to be on 140 to 143 million by March 2024. That'll leave it with just 11 to 13 million to reach DS sales from March 2024. So its very achievable. Even likely. The struggle will be getting an extra 3 mill on top of that to reach PS2 sales.

@GrailUK,

Without a doubt, and anyone trying to put a negative spin on this awesome result, it just not right in the head.

@Aventurier i know

@Croctopus yes, I think the OLED will continue to sell. It remains to be seen how Nintendo is going to press forward with the next Switch. If they take a similar approach to mobile phones, then I could see the Lite, OLED and “Switch 2” lineup

@blindsquarel Trueeee

Can't stop, wont stop!

@Anti-Matter Wii hardware was far more "outdated" than Switch hardware.

@FirstEmperor
I know, Wii hardware was far more outdated than Switch.

But I still saw the dirty business practice from some developers for Switch games when the Switch sales was on fire, they used the opportunity by releasing half baked effort games with code in box, partial download, streaming only that really hurt my feelings as customer to see half baked products with more expensive price and worse result than the competitor on PS4 & PS5.

I appreciate the Switch sales that surpassing Wii sales, but at the same I'm also critizing Switch's flaws that really hurt my impression with Nintendo Switch after 6 years owning Switch machine and see those reality like that.

@johnvboy
I didn't try to put some negative spin for Switch sales.
I just being realistic with Nintendo Switch situation when I found the dirty business practice despite of very high Switch sales.
It changed my opinion about Nintendo Switch after 6 years owning the machine and before that I really defend Nintendo Switch but it seems i felt disappointed at some points after I found those reality.

As someone who has played and owned almost every Nintendo console, Switch is FAR and away the best of the bunch. As gamers, we are very spoiled with it. These are the good old days for sure.

@loco_max @FlyingPoliceBox @sixrings
How is Netflix?

*
I can answer that: it sucks.

@Anti-Matter,

I did not single you out, and anybody's love or indeed dislike for the system is moot, it has sold well, and therefore has been a massive success.

@steely_pete The Switch doesn't have quite the widespread appeal as the Wii did. I know many people who don't play video games bought the Wii for Wii Sports or Wii Fit, I'm not surprised they didn't buy the Switch. The Switch is of course a huge hit for gamers, but it wasn't as suitable for the elderly, hospitals, or non-gamers.

Weird, the Wii was a cultural phenomenon whereas the Switch is a slightly more quiet success, yet it's even more popular than the Wii was apparently.

There's a Marketing expression . . .

"If you don't get the product (or advertisement), you're not the target." (Meaning Target Market.)

Put another way . . . if you don't like the Switch, it's OK. It's not meant for you.

But, apparently (as this article reports), there are a lot of people in the Target Market that like the Switch.

And this took only 6 years or so to reach LifeTime sales of Out of Production model to do this? And Switch isn't done selling yet? This is the News people missed out of-that it took a 6 years console to do what it took Out of Production for lifetime sales to reach a milestone. This is amazing for Nintend for a underpowered system to reach the milestone.