Switch Just Achieved The Highest August Dollar Sales For Any Console In US History

Looks like Nintendo does not have to fear the next gen for now.

Still wondering if the rumoured Switch Pro is really a thing.

Yeah, it would be cool to get a new Switch next year with a game like Cyberpunk 2077 or new TES VI

Congrats for Nintendo, but if anything is to be learned from the Xbox 360, this shouldn't mean Nintendo can safely let their guard down in terms of competing with the other systems, especially with next-gen right around the corner

"But the Nintendo Switch will fail und Nintendo is doomed"
-Some People over 3 years ago

I take it that Zelda stat is only for Switch titles rather than accross all platforms?

This is awesome! I seriously love my switch. I just wish we had more from the ground up third party support for it. Im sure if developers did so they would see higher sales over mere ports such as with Astral Chain and Octopath Traveler. Still, I'm happy Nintendo is seeing success with this amazing hybrid system. Way to go!

@Riddick Hard doubt on that front. a New Switch will probably just function as a mid-cycle refresh rather than a flat out successor. Games will probably still be designed to work on both but will have advantages when played on the revised model over the current one. It'll be more like jumping from the PS4 to the PS4 Pro rather than the N64 to the GameCube

"Another interesting fact from Piscatella's round-up shows that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has continuously landed in the top seven best-selling games across the US in every month since it released back in 2017. That's 42 months in a row without fail."

Funny, that list shows it in 11th....

and yet people are moaning there aren’t any consoles for sale

With the xbox series s priced at $300 nintendo needs to lower the price of the switch to not compete directly with it.

Oh wow...I don't know if this means that Nintendo is working on a sequel or new model of the Switch or not, but I don't think that the PS5 and Xbox Series will affect the Switch's sales.

Now all we need is a $80-100 2ds style model of the Switch and Nintendogs will be swimming in moolah.

@HotGoomba have to agree especially with the lack of games on the next gen systems especially MS. and the rumors going around PS5 will be delayed till next year. But switch is after different target audiance. and most of us have 2 or 3 of the consoles.

@HotGoomba But the Switch Lite already exists

That's essentially the entry level model considering it's cheaper and has less features. That's the budget Switch. They don't need to dumb it down any further.

@TheFrenchiestFry I beg to differ.
Where is my entry-entry-level switch that comes with just a controller, and the rest is left to the imagination?

@Chlocean At that point you can just get a Labo set and a pair of Joy-Con with no physical hardware to play with.

@BenAV I actually think they will need to drop the price a bit to counter Xbox Series S with Gamepass. Say, to 250 dollars?

Although Mario and Zelda will continue to sell the Switch and all of Nintendo's products, the Series S with Gamepass is a massive deal from Microsoft which might persuade a lot of parents / people? The true Netflix in gaming.

I don't think Switch has anything to worry about from the next gen consoles, its largely a separate audience anyway and its not as if either of those have shown anything mind blowing games wise

@Friendly The Xbox Series S only comes with Game Pass Ultimate if you pay for their 24-month contract. If you pay the $299 outright for the Series S, you have to purchase Game Pass Ultimate separately for $14.99 per month.

@TheFrenchiestFry as has been oft-discussed, "next-gen" still appears to be TV-chained. There's no talking how Switch "can't compete with them in teraflops" without talking how they can't - and currently don't bother trying - to compete with it in portability. And streaming, even if you invest extra into phone peripherals, is too different a beast to count here, take it from a longtime Remote Play user.

Overconfidence is always dangerous in long-term business, but Nintendo has long gained enough ground for room to stumble - much because they've been charting and staking the ground others neglected to.

Switch sold ~240,000 in August 2019 in the US.

Switch sold ~504,000 in August 2020 in the US.

November and December will be the most interesting months for Switch stats.

@Friendly Microsoft desperately needed to do something to make up for the lack of next-gen games available at launch. Sony will win again.

I'm beginning to think the colleague who said "the switch belongs in a museum" when it launched was right. Except he meant as dead and forgotten, but the switch might end up being the best selling console ever. Now give me that rumoured New Switch

Good for Nintendo, now give us new games...

@Friendly @Moonlessky I have to agree with @BenAV. We are talking about completely different systems, one hybrid with great exclusives and one that is the console equivalent of a middle range gaming PC.

Not to mention the Xbox SS is less powerful than the One X, at least on paper. This make very little sense and will hold back devs from fully exploiting the new gen. I don't believe the Xbox SS will affect the Switch at all.

@Friendly Users have already been able to get an XBox with better graphics and Game Pass for a few years and for cheaper than the Switch.

Quite honestly, XBox strengths are Switch weaknesses, and Switch strenghts are XBox weaknesses. There's a huge difference in what they offer. Maybe if we were talking about entry level devices (One S and Lite), $50 would make a big difference, since thats what price sensitive consumers will be looking at, but otherwise $50 difference will hardly make someone wanting a XSS to buy a Switch instead (and the contrary is also true).

If Nintendo supplies enough hardware to support the incoming launch of Super Mario 3D All-Stars, then September 2020 will be a gigantic month for the Switch - possibly the biggest September since the launch of GTAV back in 2013.

@TheFrenchiestFry Yeah, that's why I don't think that will ever happen, but I just imagine the stupidest things, and I imagined this.

@mariomaster96,

And some people still feel sales will fall of a cliff, deluded people who feel everyone buys consoles based on power, when in reality even this is niche within the sales of the machines from Sony and Microsoft.

Switch will beat Wii eventually. Honestly, it's my fave console ever made (and I've owned them all!).

@BenAV @progx @Julien @Rhaoulos @RennanNT Good points, guys, good points.

Though Game pass, or Game Pass Ultimate will have by far the highest value out of all services being offered (I mean, look at the amount of games you're able to play with it), I agree that they probably target two different audiences.

However, I do not agree that the series S should be compared to the One S. Game Pass (and XCloud) makes the value of series S way different / higher when comparing it to one S.

For me: The Series S will be my complementary console for 3d parties when porting doesn't go well, such as for Doom Eternal (taking a bit long), Outer Worlds (not that good of a performance) etc. Don't like to be let down by porting companies anymore. And I do not care that much about Sony's first parties, apart from a few (Horizon Zero Dawn, the Last of Us, Persona 5, Detroit become Human, ... , that's it.)

The sales numbers for Nintendo hardware and software sales continue to dominate. Over and over again. Yet as I keep saying over and over again: Developers will STILL treat the Switch like the red headed step child. Bring on even more Nintendo Life articles about what games aren't coming to Switch and/or what developers are "unsure" or "possibly looking into" a Switch version of their flavor of the month game.

All you have to do is look at some of my old comments to see how dismissive of Switch I was.
Had bought one, sold it.
Bought another and it's literally my favourite gaming console.
Quite happy to eat my hat and humble pie for afters.

BOTW deserves every bit of praise it’s receiving

@Riddick Lol, Bethesda stated TES VI won't even enter development until Starfield releases. That means it's launching sometime around 2028 at the absolute earliest. Don't expect it to come out this generation.

Excellent news. Despite what some arm chair analysts say on here, the Switch is still red hot and will continue to be. 😁

The Switch won't get a price drop and still sell better than PS5 or XSX this Holiday.

Looks like Nintendo has a GTA 4 on their hands with BotW. I’ve never played BotW, but I’m currently 10 hours into Okami (INCREDIBLE!) and it’s made me thirsty for these types of games! I plan on playing BotW once I beat Okami and another game.

Still doesn't mean that they should get arrogant again, as with the pricing of their ports, and the entire Mario 3D all-stars fiasco.

@TheFrenchiestFry What happens when my train of thought starts drifting?

I wonder if Nintendo at least broke even with the Wii U?

@MaxlRoseGNR I hope not if so they would be another unexpected expense. 😀

@jcboyer515 it's a time limited release, and my pre-order, along that of anyone who pre-ordered at the same store I did, got cancelled, of course after all other pre-orders sold out, and I was very early with it. That's not good business. Not replying when a retailer that gets only VERY limited supply asks whether there will be more, is very bad business. I've been with Nintendo ever since the original Game Boy, and my first tv at home was to be able to play my Gamecube, my first own home console. Bought every system day one, including 3DS and Wii U. Still have my ambassador N3DS as well, and the ambassador program games. They're definitely way more arrogant these days than they were when they gave free games to their fans, and made brand new Wii U games for €45 that they now port to Switch for €60. To some extent their charm is within their arrogance, even I would strongly argue for that, but not when it comes at the cost of their fans. And I know, they are a business, but there's a clear difference between when they want to "please" their fans to get them to trust them, or when they clearly don't give a damn anymore because their money printers are working around the clock.

This is exactly why Nintendo isn't even bothering in announcing new games. Why should they when the system continues to sell without them? This is arrogant Nintendo rearing it's ugly head once again. I really hope the XSEX and the PS5 sell millions of consoles just so that Nintendo can get off their complacent asses.

With how much money Nintendo is making, you'd think they could crank out more high quality games.
I don't mean to sound entitled or whatever, it's just when Nintendo is the richest company in Japan, you'd think they could do more. I love the Switch, but a shocking number of the first party titles have been Wii U ports (Tropical Freeze, MK8, NSMBU, etc) or just low quality cash-ins (Pokemon, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, etc).
Nintendo has enough money to do produce better than this.

@outsider83 if you like Okami then you'll most likely enjoy BotW. BotW really is an amazing game. You can get lost in it just exploring new areas, finding secrets and testing out your abilities. There's a lot to do, see, and discover.

Series S will impact Switch insofar as it's the same price, but now advertising "new generation." Shiny and new always attracts attention, and the idea of getting "new" instead of "old" for the same price will certainly influence some sales. It's certainly not going to kill Switch, there's only one high powered commodity handheld in town, and it has a killer library, but sure, it will affect some sales, assuming enough of either are manufactured.

Thus why the "pro" (not really pro, just hardware refresh, probably) is important to make Switch "new and shiny" again.

@Rhaoulos SeS isn't less powerful than 1X on paper or otherwise. It doesn't target 4k rendering, but is doing substantially more computation in general. The 4k limitation as it applies to existing/BC games is largely due to the reduced memory/memory bandwith in terms of loading 4k textures and maintaining the image buffer twice as big, not really about computational power.

X and S are more or less identically performing machines, but the S has half the SSD storage, and has a lower end GPU/memory so that it targets 1440/1080p instead of 4k at, theoretically, otherwise the same performance/gfx settings. There's a lot of cost savings by only rendering half the pixels.

@Bizzyb your comment has made me consider playing a BotW after Okami. I just didn’t want to get burned out on these types of games. What you said about getting lost in the world and discovering new things has me reconsidering my decision!

One thing that I always tell people about Okami, I love how I get lost in the world and I rarely play it in docked mode! 😂 I love wondering around figuring out what’s next. That feeling you get when you finally figure it out. How satisfying it feels to use the celestial brush in combat. Being ok with grinding because of the rewards for doing so. The feeling that I’m witnessing magic when I see a level blossom with life. Throwing in a new enemy when you start to long for change. Surprising new or changes to familiar environments. I could go on and on. OH, and the score!!!!! 😍

It’s just a brilliant game that has shown me why I’ve seen people say, “I envy anybody who gets to experience Okami for the first time!”

@mariomaster96 that mostly trolls and their leader, Michael Pachter.

@MaxlRoseGNR
I seriously hope the switch pro i a real thing. I need it 🥴🥴😂

Switch breaking almost all the records. You love to see it.

@link3710 more to the point, why would anybody buy anything from Bethesda, after all their recent crap releases and crapping all over consumers...

This is amazing; I'm literally witnessing Nintendo making the same mistakes they did during the Wii's pinnacle years of success. News report after news report of record breaking achievements with an under powered yet mass-appeal console, all while they rest on their laurels (i.e. no Switch Pro).

In a few years we'll all be witnessing Wii U part 2.

@SpaceKaren don't bet on it. Lol

Nintendo Switch is selling a lot better than even i thought it would. I predicted it would do about 75% of the Wii but at this rate it will surpass the Wii. Not bad for a game system with underpowered (but still amazing) hardware.

@SpaceKaren is your profile picture Elon Musk with a wig? Lol

@SpaceKaren It's a little early for that lol. A new Switch revision definitely should not launch within 6 months of PS4 / XB1, that'd be an even bigger mistake.

Besides, a revision wouldn't have helped the Wii anyways. What killed it was them reducing the number of games they released, failing to court third party support, and simultaneously stopping localizing many of their own titles. Suddenly, games basically stopped coming out and what remained of the core crowd moved on, while the blue ocean market evaporated as usual.

This time around the system is far less reliant on blue ocean consumers, they haven't stopped localizing titles, and third parties are still heavily on board, and supposedly we won't see release count fall off a cliff. Not to say that they can't screw it up still, but they haven't yet.

The Nintendo Switch reminds me of the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS in terms of popularity. This is going to be a console that goes down in video game history as one of the most beloved.

@mariomaster96 I remember so many people calling the Switch a future dud and how Nintendo should just go 3rd party. Lol

@Anguspuss PS5 rumored to get delayed? Wut

@sketchturner They're doing ports because so many people missed out on the games when they were on Wii U.

@Rhaoulos ":Not to mention the Xbox SS is less powerful than the One X, at least on paper." Uh no. Series S has the same CPU as the Series X and it has a 512 GB SSD. It is far more powerful than the One X.

Even if they were the same price as Switch, I don't think an Xbox or a PS5 are very inticing, they're both these great big clunky systems that are more powerful than the Switch, just like their predecessors. They're still not portable and don't have Nintendo games so it reminds me of someone shopping for a microwave and people making comparisons to ovens. They both do the same thing, but that's a different market, and an ultra powerful super computer new Playstation doesn't mean anything if you're a Mario fan, even if it's cheap.

@Friendly

For the record, only two of those are actually made by sony's first parties.

@Jarobusa

Lol yeah I was looking at that comment myself like what are they talking about? They were proudly peddling that fake news & spreading that misinformation for sure though lol.

@Lanmanna I remember so many people calling the Switch a future dud and how Nintendo should just go 3rd party. Lol

This is why they are called NintenDoomed Fandom whom dranked the koolaid...

I don't understand why anybody is so excited about the next gen twins. I like what Microsoft is doing with cross-generational compatibility (kind of like GB-compatible GBC games) and the fact that Sony will be utilising UHD Blu-ray discs for distribution (a boon for physical collectors and a great step forward in the industry as UHD disc production will increase significantly as a result, which will also benefit the production of UHD movies/TV on disc).

A full HD or gasp Ultra HD successor to the Switch will be far more impressive than anything that Microsoft/Sony have to show.

This just helps Switch more:
https://www.gematsu.com/2020/09/bloomberg-sony-cuts-ps5-initial-production-orders-by-four-million-units
Bloomberg: Sony cuts PS5 initial production orders by four million units.
Because of this:
unsteady production yield of the console’s custom-designed system-on-chip
So in other words they screwed up and was cutting corners to push it out as soon as possible. Reminds of this one O/S that requires constant updates to work. So in their rush to push out the family jewels they forgot one biggest flaws...
Quality Check/Stability

But for some odd reason. Switch on release didn't have release hardware flaws. This tells you they rush production to show they got no goods to show for it. This is what happens when you push rather then make it a stable platform on Launch.

@NEStalgia @Jarobusa
Edit: I just double checked on the Xbox website. The Series S has only 4TFLOP when the One X has 6 and the Series X 12. Even if the Series S has modern technologies like Ray tracing and a good SSD, it really lacks in computing power. We're talking less than a PS4 Pro.

Old comment: My bad, I saw a chart showing the computing power of XSX, XSS and XOX with the XSS showing less TFLOP than the XOX. It must have been a kotaku article passing a rumour for a fact... I'll look it up properly

And now watch what September sales records are like after Super Mario All Stars 3D drops. Nintendo isn't gonna have a financial issue to worry of for awhile. Just hope it doesn't make them get overconfident and they lose all the momentum.

@Dizavid
Maybe the Super Mario 35th Anniversary is just the tip of the iceberg for what Nintendo has in store later, for competing against PS5/Xbox Series X launch titles. Consider what they have in store for The Legend of Zelda and Metroid next year, given it's both of their anniversaries.

@Lanmanna I have no problem with them doing Wii U ports. My point is that those ports don't take up a ton of resources. Meaning Nintendo ought to be able to pump out a greater quantity of high quality NEW games.

I can't tell from the tweets (apologies if I just missed it), but does this account for inflation?

I am always surprised how call of duty does so well.

@link3710 Okey ) I will wait it of course Maybe I will buy new console or PC )