Neon Nintendo Switch Was The Best Selling Hardware Of March In The U.S.

Neon Pink and Green Joy-Con all the way.
(Even tho I dont play Splatoon)

I’m not surprised. The mainstream haven’t got into it yet, from what I’ve seen “on the streets”.

What if count all Switch' colors? Will it surpass PS4 Slim+Pro sales?

I bought my Neon Switch back at the end of February.

Considering getting the Neon Pink/Green Joycon, though... And probably Splatoon as well I've been meaning to give it a try. Never played it on the Wii U though, but doesn't make sense to buy the first one when no-one's gonna play online lol

Odd that only one version of the Switch is being recorded? Different colours and internal memory are also available.

It's really good to see all the companies do well.

@oji nope as a whole the ps4 family outsold the switch family but I think that would mean that the Neon Switch couldn't have been too far in front of the standard ps4

@eltomo @oji They are all counted. Switch Neon Red & Blue Joy Con was the best selling SKU.
PS4 Slim, Bundles and Pro moved the most units.

I think PS4 will take April (God of War) & May (Detroit).
Switch to take June & July.
PS4 back on top for September with DQXI and Spider-Man.

The holiday season will be interesting, could go any way. Think MS might even take a month or two (strong XBoneX sales).

As for Switch colours...I've got the Grey Joy Cons. I like to keep it simple and clean .

Grey Joy Cons, as this was the version the colleague was selling. Got Neon Red and Blue as supplementary ones, but only because that store was out of the Green and Pink ones...

This makes sense when you consider that even in the UK, a place where Nintendo historically hasn't been a big seller, multiple Switch titles are still in top 10 every month. So they must be doing something right despite not having any real heavy hitters this year.

Mine is Double Neon Blue Joy Cons and Double White Joy Cons.

The PS4 slim/pro outsold the Switch color/gray. This is getting nonsensical.

PS4: 354k
Switch: 308k
XBO: 299k

Basically the Switch Gray sale must have been a fraction of the Color version in March. So the PS4 total was higher.

@Fight_Teza_Fight I have a feeling the PS4 will win this holiday season due to the inevitable sales and the fact I think they have marketing exclusivity for Red Dead Redemption 2, which let's be honest is going to destroy anything that releases in the same period.

It's Spring 2018 and Switch sales haven't fallen off a cliff, something must be wrong here!!1!!1

Seriously though, it's nice to see the Switch train still rolling a year later.

That's my Switch

(and millions of others of course).

@FragRed Oh Yeah. Forgot about Red Dead. It still doesn’t feel like a thing to me yet!
Yeah that’s going to annihilate everything.

Still a potential Pokemon & Smash Switch vs RDR2 will be an interesting watch.

@oji No... That is why the PS4 is "The best selling console" in March. And now the “best selling console” of 2018 (US)

I know its a bit confusing 🙃

@SSJ3Goku there are still plenty of people playing Wii U Splatoon online, my son turned it on because he 'felt sorry for our Wii U' and we had no trouble getting matches!

"The 32 GB Switch"?
Is there a different version?

I just wish PS4 would be discontinued already

@gloom why would you want that. It’s still selling great with great games to come too

It's been a while since a Nintendo platform was able to sell more than 300,000 units during March in the US, excluding new hardware launches.

@gloom A high tide raises all boats, my friend.

It’s not one or the other.

@Agramonte Really good numbers all around. Still waiting for PS4 to start dropping like it has in Japan, but it seems to have a lot of gas left in the tank.

North America saw the NLife articles that Switch has been hacked, so wanted in before Nintendo patch the exploits up.

I've seen more people get the red and blue joy-cons simply because they've been easier for them to find at the time... in the better bundles at least.
My local stores seem to consider the red and blue joy-cons to be the more childish of the colours, so they tend to bundle it with what they consider to be the more childish games (mainly first-party titles like Mario and Zelda).
The grey joy-cons on the other hand they seem to consider more mature, so tend to bundle them with more mature games that are typically the less popular third-party titles... so it's obvious that those bundles won't sell as well.

Siiigh, counting 2 different pieces of hardware as one SKU is not painting a proper picture of sales. Started happening after Kaz was given the boot, maybe lump in TV and Walkman sales too

Who would actually buy the grey SKU out of choice?

@BraveBiT the colored and grey switch have different SKUs. Should they be counted individually?

Just wait for Smash and Pokemon. The Switch will be the new Wii in terms of sales.

The Joy-Con I use are the left yellow and the right blue. Don't ask why, that just what I do.

@FragRed lol I have to disagree since e3 hasn't happened yet.besides you should know if metriod prime 4 and pokemon ..come out more pokemon well nuff. Said

If you’re going to count ps4 slim and pro models then why wouldn’t you count all the different color joycon switch versions that sold?

@Agramonte It isn't nonsensical cause sales are for companies not fanboys/fans to brag about. Pointing out that the Neon Switch is selling way more than the black one tells Nintendo that they need to produce more of the Neon model and less of the black model. You know there may be people out there that went to buy a Switch on March and didn't because the only SKU available was the black one and they wanted the Neon one. So it makes sense to do this distinction.

How can the Switch keep doing so well......I mean without any new games or a price drop.

@KryptoKrunch,

It's coming.............Nintendo are always doooooomed.

Not surprised sales slowed a bit. Though there has been the steady flow of indie titles and smaller releases, this year we have had nothing that really compares to the heavy hitters of last year.
Zelda BotW
Mario Kart 8 DX
Arms
Splatoon 2
Mario Obyessy
Skyrim
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Doom
etc...

We haven't even had any indie games that have generated hype on the level of Stardew Valley or Golf story.

But to be fair, this time last year, aside from the Switch launch itself, was pretty dry too.

Got some nice stuff lined up for this summer into fall, so the hype should pick back up then. Especially if we get some good reveals at E3.

Given the slower half of the year for Switch, it's still holding its own quite well.

PS4 is the new PS2, so I wouldn't even try comparing. That system is long gone, nothing will catch it. What matters though is Switch being successful enough to get support and games.

Should blast off in a few months though, when the heavy hitters drop.

@JJ286 Nintendo (or any other manufacture) does not need market researchers to get that data - They at the source.

You think Nintendo was at a lost In February when NPD only said the PS4 was the best selling console but didn't break out Neon Switch SKUs. Both Switch have been easily available in the USA, so obvious Nintendo knows what they need to produce long before they get NPD numbers one month later.

Anyway - the real numbers are Tomorrow. Their Financial Quarterly report.

@Agramonte Thanks for the numbers. So weird seeing Xbox numbers, MS doesn't like to share. Makes me wonder how X is selling compared to S. Sony has their investor phone call Friday, I'm expecting PS4 numbers then. Could be at 80m.

@rjejr Well Nintendo should have their Financial report tomorrow also. Yeah, PS4 already moved pass the 3DS at this point, and still going strong. Probably at 80M

At the end of the day one thing we know is that everyone is doing really well in the USA - good times 👍

And so happy for RARE!!!... I was worried Microsoft would close them down

https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/24/npd-sea-of-thieves-is-the-fastest-selling-rare-ever-tracked/

I wanted the neon red and blue bundle but at the time my local walmart only had the grey bundles. I might pick up a second pair in the near future!

@diwdiws Nope, those are the same system in different color schemes. A 4pro is not just a ps4 in a different color, it's updated on the hardware level and costs a whole $100 more.

@JaxonH "What matters though is Switch being successful enough to get support and games."

It's all for naught though as long as Switch owners continue to not buy said games. Seriously, what are the 3rd party sales numbers looking like?

I feel like everyone is buying BOTW and Odyssey and calling it a day.

A decline because of the lack of quality games in January, February, March, April, May?

@gatorboi352
3rd party sales are actually doing surprisingly well.

Bethesda has stated they're happy with Skyrim and DOOM sales. Which, Skyrim has charted above Xenoblade 2 on retailer top seller lists like Amazon since release, and we know Xenoblade crossed a million some time ago. So by my estimate Skyrim is now working on 2 million. DOOM is probably half of that. Obviously not as strong as sales on other platforms, but they were also released later and a lot of people already purchased them, and this is still a new market where the fanbase is slowly coming around to buying more third-party titles, so all things considered it's looking pretty good.

Capcom said Resident Evil Revelations 1 and 2 outsold the PS4 and X1 versions combined. And Ultra Street Fighter II hit 500k as of last fall. FIFA 18 from EA has sold a small amount compared to other platforms with an established fanbase, but it's still done exponentially better than previous entries on Nintendo platforms, perhaps more than past handheld entries as well. It's done more in France alone than FIFA did on Wii U globally. About 80k. Another 80k in Japan. An eighth of a million physically just from those two small countries. So I figure that game has to be pushing a million globally by now. A pittance next to PS4/X1 sales to be sure, but hopefully enough to establish itself as a viable version people want. If they plant their flag and start releasing annually they will see increased sales year-over-year as the Switch FIFA fanbase grows.

I know Disgaea 5 and DB Xenoverse 2 have surpassed 500k. And Ubisoft is glowing from Mario Rabbids sales. Although it's not quite as promising for Rayman Legends and South Park, which is somewhat concerning. I guess Rayman has done well, especially considering the game has already released on every single platform imaginable. But South Park hasn't charted very high, be it Amazon or the eShop. Some of that is the fact it's late, and didn't include Stick of Truth, but I still expected it to do better. It's a shame because it's a really high-quality game and it looks and runs great ok Switch. I'm not even a fan of crude humor or the show, but I'm really enjoying the game

There's a long, long list of smaller titles and indies that are outselling all other versions though, often 10:1. Which is good. It'll ensure we get as many quality games like Hyper Light Drifter and Undertale and Luminous Remastered and Runner 3, etc. Not necessarily games that sell systems but, they are games you really want to help round out the library, especially a portable system.

NIS has stated multiplat games which release day and date with PS4, Switch versions are typically outselling them 2 to 1.

I've also observed that Switch games are consistently charting higher than PS4 and Xbox One on Amazon, provided a day and date release. Often a game will be #300 for Switch, #400 for PS4 and #3500 for X1. Granted, you have to consider the bias for Amazon customers likely skews older, while younger gamers likely shop at Gamestop. Still, it's a good rough estimate bellweather. Dark Souls Remastered on Switch, for example, was the leading version on the sellers list until the delay was announced. Still hanging around #200 versus the PS4 #60, but it should shoot back up once the new release date is announced.

So... mostly good news, with a few concerning examples also. It's been a nice change of tune from generations past, that's for sure. But they need to be careful because I do believe there are certain types of games that simply will not sell on this platform. Call of Duty without single player... not a good idea. Online focused games can't really be played portably (they can with hotspot, but most won't). And if you can't play it portably there's no reason to buy it on Switch. There's no benefits, only downsides. Better off buying it on a different platform where it looks better and runs better since you're going to be playing it on the television anyways. Not to say online focused games can't do well on Switch, but it would need to be an exclusive game (like Crazy Justice battle royale game coming, complete with gyro controls and everything) not a multiplatform release.

I don't understand why anybody would want such popping and tacky colors like neon red and blue. Why not the smooth, simple, subtle, tried and true gray config?

Then again, I don't understand anybody period.

@JaxonH wait... Skyrim on switch has sold ~2 million and DOOM ~1 million? I need to see these figures.

@gatorboi352
I didn't say 2 million. I said pushing 2 million. And I'm estimating.

Xenoblade 2 crossed 1 million months ago, and Skyrim has tracked above Xenoblade 2 on every sales tracking platform to date. It ranked higher in the eShop and for longer, it ranked higher on Amazon and for longer (it's still in the top 100, while Xenoblade 2 is not).

So if Xenoblade 2 hit a million months ago, it's probably at like 1.2 million by now. Which means Skyrim has to be 1.5m, give or take, which means it should cross the 2 million threshold sometime this year.

And given do them has done about half of what Skyrim has done, I suspect it's probably at 800k, and will break a mil sometime this year.

We have to do the best with the information we're given. But these are reasonable, grounded-in-logic estimates. And not that surprising given Skyrim has sold 25 million copies worldwide. Shouldn't shock anyone it can sell a couple million more on Switch.

At the bare minimum, we can conclude Skyrim has sold around 1 million copies physically, not counting digital, which is typically 25% of physical sales on Switch according to other game data. And DOOM is around half of Skyrim.

That would be a lowball estimate. These games are evergreen on Switch. Probably pulling in around 7500 per week globally, physically. It's why Skyrim is still in the top 100 even six months later, and DOOM is about twice that ranking. So every 10 weeks you can add another 75k, which means over the span of a year each game will have done 1/3 of a million more, physically. Which, at the bare minimum, should put Skyrim around 1.5 million by the end of this year and maybe 750k for DOOM? Of course the holidays will drive a lot of sales because they are continuing to sell on Switch.

@Agramonte "Well Nintendo should have their Financial report tomorrow also"

Thanks, didn't know that. Guess it has been awhile since we saw official Switch numbers from Nintendo as well. It feels like TW was the only one at NL who cared about what Bloomberg news was reporting.

@rjejr Well, I have money invested in both SONY and Nintendo. And not for any good reason. Just because I grew up with a Playstation and a DS (it real is a fanBoy mindless move). So if their stock tanks I hear "I told you so" from my girl and my brother. So I always know when it is coming.

WiiU and the Howard Stringer years were rough times at Tax season 😅

@Agramonte Well I hope all goes well for you this week. I'm really just waiting to see when PS4 passes PS3. Switch already passed Wii U, wasn't much of a wait.

@Lord Glad you said it lol.

Meh, Neon controllers distract me, oddly enough.

@gcunit
I did.

Got my Switch November 15th from my local walmart and they had the Neon Blue and Red Switch about 20 off them, and they also had about 8 Mario Odyssey Red joy-con bundle, they didn't even have any grey joy-cons version at all. So I picked up the Neon Blue and Red Switch, because I didn't want a digital download version of Mario Odyssey. I would have rather had picked up the grey joy-con switch version instead don't really care for the blue or red joy-cons.

Its no wonder Switch got a decline in sales! 2018 is almost dead year so far. Maybe the DK and Hyrule Warriors ports will help a little but still i don't think they are enough

@dimi,

Not a massive decline like some people on here were predicting though,which is very impressive considering that as you say there are not many games so far in 2018.

Nintendo and third parties will be all gearing up for E3....watch this space.

@johnvboy hope so... Hope GTA V, Pokemon, Diablo III, and some Final Fantasy!

I contributed to that amount. Initially I was going to get the matte black and grey switch but I found myself liking the color of the red and blue so I bought that one instead

People really liked their mismatched colors, I guess