The NDP Group figures for January are in, and Switch has maintained its momentum from 2019 by being the United States' best-selling console for the first month of the new year.
However, the total hardware spend in January 2020 declined 35 percent year-on-year, dropping to $129 million. According to video game analyst Mat Piscatella, all three major hardware platforms experienced declines when compared to this time in 2019.
Software sales were also down by 31 percent year-on-year to $311 million, with Piscatella blaming the fall on a weaker slate of new games in January 2020.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was January's best-selling game, while Ring Fit Adventure jumped to 9th place – its highest ranking in North America to date. However, the month's best-selling Switch game was Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which was 7th place in the all-formats chart.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 37
It's been a very quiet start to the year on all platforms, I've been grateful for it in all honesty as I can catch up with some games I've not had chance to play yet
DECLINE ??!!
Oh no Nintendo is doooomed !!!!
Or more likely the market is kinda saturated now.
It; s just after the holidays, people are more frugal and are playing with their new toys and games.
And the current gen is winding down with the new one gearing up.
Nintendo wil be fine.
@carlos82
The NX is also 3 years old by now.
But a lull isn't always a bad thing.
Nintendo is the best, they can't be stopped. Smash Bros ftw, greatest game ever made.
@mesome713
I wouldn't go that far
Nintendo stil has a 1993 attitude towards the internet for example .
No company is infallible
January NPD hardware sales for all relevant platforms this generation. Note that January is a 4 week tracking period unless stated otherwise.
3DS
> 2012: 160,000
> 2013: 145,000**
> 2014: 95,000
> 2015: 75,000
> 2016: 70,000
> 2017: 65,000
> 2018: 65,000**
PS4
> 2014: 271,000
> 2015: 189,000
> 2016: 227,000
> 2017: 211,000
> 2018: 254,000**
> 2019: 195,000
> 2020: ??????? => Massive YoY decline
XBO
> 2014: 142,000
> 2015: 150,000
> 2016: 130,000
> 2017: 157,000
> 2018: 235,000**
> 2019: 101,000
> 2020: ??????? => Massive YoY decline
NSW
> 2018: 270,000**
> 2019: 284,000
> 2020: ??????? => Single-digit percentage YoY decline
**5 week tracking period
Switch sales in January 2019 (284,000) was the best month of January for any current generation platform. PS4 only sold close to that number once (in January 2014) while XBO and 3DS has never sold anywhere near that number in any January month.
Replicating such a strong month of sales is difficult, especially as the Switch stretches beyond its peak towards market saturation. It also doesn't help when the biggest new release of January 2020 is TMS#FE Encore. By comparison, NSMBU DX launched in January 2019 with over 300,000 retail copies sold.
But honestly whose buying a xbox one or ps4 with series X and PS5 around the corner. If it wasn't the best selling console there would be a major problem
Not such much of a bang... more that they’ve just done their jobs and gone home.
Being the best seller out of three when the other two have new consoles coming out this year isn’t exactly a huge achievement. One could probably predict that the Switch will continue to be the best selling console until October/November when the new consoles come out.
I wonder what the impact of the Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch system will be? I think it'll increase these numbers exponentially. Can't wait for it to launch, I may just call in "sick" so I can pick up my pre-order in the morning!
@DarthFoxMcCloud
Animal Crossing and the Animal Crossing Switch bundle have gotten a ton of preorders, so expect March (and April) 2020 to be a massive month for Switch hardware sales.
@westman98
I actually bought a brand new 2Ds today
it had a heavy discount and I had a voucher so that made it 15,
but I bought it new all the same.
It starts 2020 "with a BANG" with YOY hardware sales decline? This is the twilight zone for data analysis 😅
There is ZERO good news here for the US industry - Nintendo is basically "winning" in a burning ship.
Almost year 4 and Publishers still need to go make money elsewhere... 🤦♂️
@Agramonte December is always the big month for buying games/systems, and the big games are released before then instead of after.
January 2019 had Smash Ultimate in mid-December to keep sales going, and NSMBUD did fairly well, so I'd bet it was above average for a January.
I’m still working through a large backlog of games, but I’m starting to get concerned about the lack of any major announcements from Nintendo on what to expect this year outside of Animal Crossing. I know, we’re only a month and a half into 2020 and I should stay patient...
Switch is still performing well and will and should continue to do so. My only concern is the long wait for Nintendo direct as I don’t want to see them hit the complacency button again and let the switch die a slow death.
Games are what will keep the system selling. If they allow that to drop off they will be making a huge error.
@KitsuneNight Did you not hear? Nintendo revealed the name of their new console. It’s called Nintendo Switch. 😉
@BlubberWhale
No way !
@Agramonte Looks like Tokyo Mirage sessions didn't even make top 10 being basically the only real release for switch in january. Kind of sad, especially with the lack of new games in January.
Switch continues to perform well. January never a big month but stable YoY is good.l, especially without a big release like January last year. Nailed on for a huge March as well.
Surprised at how quickly PS4/XB1 are falling away.
@CoastersPaul What drove sales also in Jan 2019 in the US were 2 3rd party titles. Kingdom Hearts III and Resident Evil 2 - that were not on Switch. it is in the link NL is using as a source. It was not just Nintendo games.
The Switch is a hit (great! love LM3 also!) but it is obvious that it can't do it alone. PS4 can't die and leave behind a system where everyone sits around 3 months waiting for the next big Nintendo game.
@dougphisig Once it hits $29.99 it will sell a lot better
Tokyo Mirage is a Good game. The censored stuff is overblown - it changes nothing that makes the game fun.
But I played TMFE on WiiU and now Kakarot on PS4. And if you like RPGs (and not what logo is on the hardware it plays on) Kakarot is a better buy at $60... TM just cant compete.
Yep, the real question is - Why is DBZ: Kakarot not on Switch? Another missed opportunity that makes zero sense.
I expect it will be up due to the AC bundle, which is surprisingly popular. I didn't know AC was that popular.
Market will start to do better next month with AC, and P5R.
@Agramonte I picked it up to support the series and i'm interested in checking it out (though I still don't like the idea of censorship in general with the game), but it's on the backlog. It's too bad Kakarot didn't release on switch as well or else it probably would have sold really well on the switch, I think there's a chance that will come over later. Only bad thing is they'll probably port it and release at 60 like always.
I just picked up Tokyo Mirage sessions today actually. Would have got it on release but had other priorities, will play it after finishing what I am currently playing.
Looking forward to Trials of mana, Bravely Default 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles remastered. 3 wants all before an early year direct, 2020 is going to be great.
@electrolite77 "Surprised at how quickly PS4/XB1 are falling away" makes me think ps5 and series X is going to sell much more units then the power doesn't matter anymore crowd thinks. People are saving their pennies for a big holiday purchase
@sixrings
PS5 and XBSX are always going to do well. Exclusives might be lacking but that didn’t stop PS4 selling in its first couple of years plus Backwards Compatibility will help.
I’m surprised though because it looks like MS and Sony combined will sell less than last Gen and Switch won’t get anywhere near DS/Wii combined. It’s great that Console gaming is still going strong but it’s less strong than it was.
Not sure what you mean by ‘power crowd’ but there are some people to whom it matters (High end PC owners being the best example) and some it doesn’t. Even then Switch has been helped by its status as most powerful handheld. The lines are further blurred by some people who own both and because we also don’t know why people buy systems.
well asking for the switch to get Wii + ds numbers is asking a lot.... As for the Xbox and PS numbers and why they're down compared to last generation. No real idea. It's an expensive hobby and one can only manage to get themselves to buy new controllers to go with a system all over again. Very happy xbox one controllers will work with the series x. That means I can buy a dirt cheap xbox all digital on black Friday and have a controller for my future series x.
@westman98 Man it's already been over a year since Mario U Deluxe came out? Where does the time go??
January 2013 hardware sales (5 week tracking period):
360: 281,000
PS3: 201,000
3DS: 145,000
WiiU: 57,000
PSV: 35,000
Despite next-gen platforms approaching, 360/PS3 still sold really well during in January 2013. Things weren't looking very good for Nintendo back then: the 3DS sold okay but far from great, while the Wii U was obviously failing,
The exact opposite happened in January 2020 - Nintendo has done well (despite slight YoY declines), while the PS4/XBO are dropping off much faster than the prior generation.
@KitsuneNight Yep. Let me know if you need anything else.
@BlubberWhale
Does it play Ds games ?
@KitsuneNight No, I’m sorry to say it doesn’t. Although it does use cards similar to what the DS used. 😬
@BlubberWhale
I'm sure my 2ds wil play these fangeled "swintch" games just fine.
PS5 and XBONE really falling away. It makes sense though. Who wants to buy either new now when both the PS5/Series X will be backwards compatible and hopefully have a good five years ahead of them. Anyone who has held off so far can likely continue to do so till they release.
@jarvismp yes, Nintendo need to do a general Nintendo Direct to give us information on Bayonetta 3, the sequel of Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and some suprises, to keep the good sales of the Nintendo Switch.
happy to see that Nintendo Switch is still selling well in january despite only having one major game for Nintendo, lets see if the Nintendo Switch keep this pace ounce PS5 and Xbox Series X release this holiday, i hope it keep it strong sales momentum and surpasses the Wii at the end of Switch lifecycle.
@KitsuneNight Haha, well I certainly hope so!! 😂😂😂 I can’t keep up this act anymore lol. Have a good day friend!
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