Just in case there was any doubt, the Switch is still doing the absolute business when it comes to sales; Nintendo's hybrid machine sold better than its industry rivals to be the best-selling system across the US in January.
Not content with simply outselling the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the Switch actually sold more units in the US last month than any games console has managed since the Wii way back in 2010. The news was confirmed by NPD Group's Mat Piscatella:
As you can also see, Switch helped games hardware sales to reach $319 million last month, again the best figures seen in the month of January for many years. Piscatella reports that January 2021 consumer spending across game hardware, content, and accessories achieved a January record of $4.7 billion, a 42% rise year-on-year.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons was Nintendo's best-selling software of the month, landing fifth in the overall chart (although it's worth noting that Nintendo doesn't share digital sales for its titles in this all-platform chart, meaning it may well have placed higher with all sales included):
Not bad for a system in the "middle of its life cycle," huh?
[source twitter.com]
Comments 59
That's great, now give us a Direct and some new games.
The last Nintendo game I bought was Luigi's Mansion 3, some 15 months ago.
Wow! I never saw this coming! This is so surprising!
I'm sure it's just because the PS5 is totally supply constrained or something.
It’s easy to do well when the other system is always sold out hahahahah
What happened to Xbox, are people still buying the console?
NINJA APPROVED
All signs point towards all 3 companies doing well this gen. Obviously some folk only accept 'doing well' as dominating the industry...but best not to listen to those folk.
,,,waits patiently for Halo on Switch hee hee
Really strong month for Sony and Nintendo in the US
Switch most units sold in Jan since 2010, PS5 most revenue in Jan since 2009.
Microsoft in a weird position with having two very different consoles with one being $200 less but Xbox seems to be stuck in third in the country where it actually is a popular brand.
Can't judge yet with all the stock issues for Sony and Microsoft that don't seem to be resolving any time soon.
Switch still killing it.
Now give me a Direct.
The streak will probably continue until fall or holiday 2021. Basically until whenever supply issues are resolved and system sellers appear.
@BloodNinja Series X from what I heard is doing pretty well but nowhere near PS5 numbers, but I've seen several Series S consoles available for like over 2 weeks at multiple retailers including Microsoft's own in Canada so take that as you will
If they announce some hot IPs and a couple surprises thrown in. Theyll keep smashing records. All they have to say is MK 9 or even DLC for that game and they'll break 175 million units.
@Joe-b
I admire your optimism!
@TheFrenchiestFry They seem to have had a hard time getting back up, after PS4 kinda clobbered them.
NINJA APPROVED
@BloodNinja
Are you approving your own comments each time or what is it?
@TheFullAndy It’s part of my clans code, I’m unauthorized to explain our ways to outsiders of the clan, no offense! Sorry, corporate is riding my *** right now.
NINJA APPROVED
@BloodNinja
Okey dokey.
@TheFullAndy thanks! Honestly if they mention a new MK, give a date for Zelda, Metroid, and Pikmin 4, and add some surprises like, oh maybe, a new Excite Truck...the Switch can hang around kicking butt for another 4 years.
That’s not a particularly good sign though is it?
Has it only been 11 years since the peak for the Wii? Seems a lot longer since we went through the Wii U lifecycle and the 4 years of Switch now. Crazy!
@Grumblevolcano the streak will go even longer if they have a direct and announce some IP's
Always think the same thing now when I see Switch sales figures.
Who would have thought that attractive hardware with a popular USP, backed by a massive software library including loads of quality games and good marketing would sell? Who could have foreseen it?
Outselling supply restricted next-gen Consoles isn’t that big a deal. The biggest January since the Wii certainly is.
Clearly Nintendoomed. It's all about to explode and fail. Remember, no matter how well Nintendo does, Sony and MS are actually doing better. You can always find some way to rationalize it. Because it's the internet in 2021.
Nearly four years in and the Switch is building momentum. Astonishing, and a fine last feather in the cap of Mr. Iwata.
Great to see Nintendo on top again. 😎
The Switch is going from strength to strength and nobody has any proof that it would be selling any less were Sony and Microsoft not having supply issues, so I don't know why some always go on about that.
Consoles don't sell at the highest January numbers since the Wii in 2010 because of "supply issues" from other consoles. The Wii U wouldn't have suddenly been a hit console if the competition had "supply issues." The Switch is storming the industry because it's a great console with games that people want to play, end of.
That's impressive, though a note of caution would be to look at what happened with the Wii just a year later - by January 2011, first party support had all but disappeared (DKCR had released in November 2010, and it would be November 2011 before the next and final AAA Nintendo release - Skyward Sword).
@Clyde_Radcliffe I agree 100% Some People are just upset because Nintendo Switch is Dominating in Sales!
What launched in 2010 that drove Wii sales up that year? Seems like an odd landmark near the end of the cycle when I can't recall much else coming out for the system at the time. LoZ:SS? I thought that was 2011, and didn't sell well....
I have some fear, for the whole industry, that pandemic driven video game sales booms will lead to a dramatic falloff of sales in the next year or two as it resolves, leaving all gaming related companies (including nVidia and AMD) holding their hats trying to manage expectations from deflated investors that now believe the industry is experiencing a "rapid decay" in favor of cloud and mobile devices and wanting to see changes to "adapt to the new trend." This boom is making way for a very very dangerous bust later on.
I know this is common monthly news by now... but I’m still blown away at its success. Surreal!
@NEStalgia Nothing given this is talking about January (first major Wii release of 2010 was Galaxy 2 in June), pretty sure the high sales were just a result of legacy games like Wii Sports, Wii Fit, MKWii, etc. in addition to the big holiday 2009 title NSMBWii.
@TheFullAndy It is foolish to question the ways of the ninja.
@electrolite77 Exactly. People are acting like they think the big deal being emphasized is that Switch outsold consoles that are hard to find. But the big deal is that it sold better in the month of January than any system since the Wii. I doubt the expensive new next-gen systems with hardly any games would have pulled that off even if their supply weren't gimped.
I would buy a Switch 2 tomorrow lol. I don't think the momentum is going to fall off a cliff lol.
@BAN
I suppose but aren't Ninja's meant to, like, hide in the shadows and not reveal themselves?!
@TheFullAndy Yes, but his/her physical position is still unknown to us.
@electrolite77,
Some will downplay the Switch's success no matter what, the same people were saying the console would not be a success in the first place. Then have been trying every excuse under the sun to why sales will slow down, their latest is the next generation consoles, which in reality will have very little impact at all.
It would of course be much easier to admit Nintendo have produced an awesome piece of tech, that has mass market appeal.
@johnvboy I think it’s a little of a lot of things going on. Nintendo has a lot going for it. A lot of people missed on the last Nintendo console and want to catch up. It has a good library from third party, first party and ports from the WiiU. Added portability, pandemic and console shortage, not to mention that it is cheaper.
Not surprising, considering its availability compared to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
What IS surprising is that the Xbox Series X had higher sales in January than the PlayStation 5.
@ModdedInkling
That was in the UK. This is about the US.
The Switch sold between ~380,000 to ~465,000 units in the US in Jan 2021
The Switch sold ~270,000 units in Jan 2020, so the YoY growth was huge.
@rockodoodle,
The Switch is cheaper than the new consoles, but was more expensive than the previous generations, I think as you say there are multiple factors, the pandemic has helped sales, but they were already high to begin with.
@johnvboy
Don't forget the Series S is cheaper than the Switch (proper Switch).
However I don't think the demand is there for that console. Took weeks for its pre-order stock to be used up at least in the UK. I think that console been a misstep by Microsoft and they should have focused only on Series X.
Surely this will put all the pro-begging to rest for a while at least? Well, probably not, but they clearly have no real incentive to release a new system or a hardware revision.
@TheFullAndy,
Totally agree, bot the next generation consoles are cheap enough for their disc consoles.
@johnvboy
That and the fact Microsoft are tying their first party next gen games (when they finally come out) to a significantly weaker new gen console which has never made sense to me but maybe it will work out in the long run.
At least the PS5 digital is as poweful as the disc version and once Sony move on from PS4 the first party exclusives could really show off the power of their next gen console and show up Microsoft's offerings.
Switch meanwhile will just keep on doing its thang!
no suprise that Switch continues to dominate USA Market share, end of 2021 or sooner Switch is gonna surpass the Wii, specially if Nintendo release Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2 and Bayonetta 3 and a potencial Super Mario Odyssey 2 or a brand new 3D Mario game.
@Euler
See the thing is with the Swith Pro Nintendo will get a lot of people like me who have had our Switch's since day 1 and would absolutely double dip for even a relatively modest upgraded model.
Even just a better screen and it higher clocked to get more consistent framerates and 720p/1080p resolution would be great.
Nintendo could release the Switch Pro tomorrow and sales of Switch would increase even more.
@OorWullie then you’re missing out.
Age of Calamity is a great game, and so is Paper Mario.
Mario, CvSM, GNGR, and BD2BD2 this month and Monster Hunter Rise next month. Holy cow! This could be another record year for the Switch.
@decdix Yeah, it does seem like third party support is winding down. Apart from MH Rise there's not much really big on the horizon, not even ports/remasters from the PS3/Xbox 360 era.
When it comes to first party IDK, but we'll see if Nintendo has some aces left up its sleeve. Or if they are waiting for them to release on the Switch's successor.
@Friendly I didn't enjoy the demo. I've always been curious about the Warriors series and come close to buying Hyrule Warriors on Wii U a couple of times. But something was putting me off. I thought I'd buy Age of Calamity for sure but then I played the demo. It's not for me.
As for Paper Mario, Ive played a good bit of Thousand Year Door back when it came out and some of Super Paper Mario and I couldn't get into either of them. Perhaps I'd enjoy the newer style the series has moved in but I'm not willing to spend. £50 to find out.
The problem I have with Nintendo's Switch output is the same as many others on this site, I owned a Wii U. If I hadn't, I'd be over the moon with the games they've put out. Mario Kart, Tropical Freeze, 3D World, Bayonetta 2.etc.... would all be new and I wouldn't have burned myself out on Smash and Mario Maker to the point I had no interest in the sequels.
Not every Nintendo game is for me, I get that but there's usually always 2 or 3 a year that are. Unfortunately for me, these games have mostly been the Wii U ports.
@michellelynn0976
I think at this point Nintendo could release very little this year and still have an awesome result.
I'd love to buy a Switch after selling my original a couple years back.. But I'm not buying again and putting up with outdated hardware and 30fps games until Nintendo releases some kind of Switch Pro.
The Switch is my favorite console of all time and got me back into gaming. It's just so much fun.
@Prizm
You realise 30fps is not determined only by hardware but by developer choice? Even on the new consoles.
60fps is great but many developers choose bells and whistles over smoother framerate. May as well give up on console gaming altogether if that is your key complaint.
WOW... and I am not surprised by this. With the arrival of NSW it broke the bank for me. As I was wanting something more then 3DS XL but was still playing it during that time. But since more and more Switch games plus some other Nintendo games where coming to Switch that became my goto console now. All those NintenDoomed fandom are no longer saying how short lived the Switch will be but not just nitpicking on issues with the Switch. The claimed it would die off and yet 4 years going and that is what it's taking to break all those records that those console did during their lifespan. That just goes to show you how Truly innovative the Switch console Hybrid has take hold of the market. And I'll beat a dead horse dead-it was the NES by Nintendo that restarted NA or Gaming industry that was dying in the 80's without that one has to image would you be able to game Atari 2600 still???? You have to ask.
Just remember it took 4 years for Switch to achieve those records while others it was lifeSpan sales to make those numbers and it's still selling. But you would never know it from all the NintenDoomed tweets.
@BAN
They definitely wouldn’t. That January record shows incredible momentum behind the system.
@johnvboy
Yeah it’s the same every time. I don’t know why they do it but they do.
I'm approaching 30. I have a Xbox One X next to my Model 2 Nintendo Switch. I've got no interest in the new consoles with Series or Ps5. I stopped caring about Playstation with Ps3 when games started to become more like movies and I wasn't into that. I don't care about new games that aren't Nintendo made as I feel they are boring and copy and pasted games from two generations ago. I'm just sticking with Nintendo from now on. I don't have much gaming time anymore and I like how I can play a few Mario levels and feel "satisfied". Most other games would have you still at the tutorial in that timeframe. The Switch is in my top 3 favorite consoles of all time.
@Prizm A lot of Nintendo games are 60 fps though in docked mode and at 1080p. Arms, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario 3D World are three examples. If your complaint is about "outdated hardware from Nintendo", then I don't know what to tell you. Yes the Switch is weaker than both Xbox One and Ps4, however, it is more powerful than 360 and Ps3. It doubles as a handheld and you can go from handheld mode to playing on the TV within a minute if you count detaching the Joycons from the device.
What Microsoft and Sony are putting out are top of the line PC rigs and that's boring to me. Their games are boring to me cause they don't take risks anymore and they play it safe. Sony even made Demons Souls as a Ps5 launch game and that is a remade Ps3 game. Microsoft didn't launch anything with theirs and Halo:Infinite is a long ways off and the 343 track record isn't good at all. Halo 4 and Halo 5 weren't as good as the Bungie Halo games at all. Nintendo has shown for awhile that power is no longer their interest and hasn't been since Gamecube. A lot of people don't know that Gamecube was more powerful than Ps2. I like how they are putting out fun and innovative games and are making actual gaming consoles. I'm happy that Nintendo are doing something different. Also I'd like to mention that even if Nintendo did release a Switch:Pro, don't expect it to blow your socks off or anything as it wouldn't be that big of a power leap if compared to Ps4 to Ps5 or One to Series S/X.
@johnvboy No kidding. The Switch is selling great.
Tap here to load 59 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...