Nintendo Switch Has Now Sold 92.87 Million Units, And It's Catching The Wii

Wow, that's seriously impressive.

Switch will comfortably outsell Wii and PS1 by the end of the year.

It will then comfortably outsell PS4 and GB/GBC before the end of 2022.

Not bad, its also almost as old as the Wii... 5 years (the Wii 6 was 6 years). Will that mean a next console is on its way after 2022? BOTW2, Metroid 4... but then?

I bought another one last night - that's 5 now. And I'm not gonna stop there.

@gcunit OG, Lite or OLED?

How do the April-September figures compare with 2019?

Now imagine if Nintendo dropped the price of the base Switch to $199, had Switch OLED launch at $249, and dropped Switch Lite to $99 and bundle each one with a free copy of Clubhouse Games 51 then Switch line of consoles will be flying through the roof. It'll probably beat the Wii sales numbers by Christmas 2021.

@gcunit
Apr-Sep Switch sales by year:
> 2017: 4.88 million units
> 2018: 5.06 million units
> 2019: 6.92 million units (includes launch of the Mariko "better-battery-life" Switch and Switch Lite)
> 2020: 12.53 million units
> 2021: 8.28 million units

The software numbers are really surprising considering the number of Wii consoles that were bought (presumably) for Wii Sports (and little else). Plus, with the eShop being far more accessible than the Wii Shop Channel, one would think that the Switch has shifted significantly more units of software than the Wii.

It's also not particularly fair to compare software sales of the Wii and beyond with that of physical-only hardware that have not had the benefit of a software library that can be purchased with loose change.

At this point, I have no doubt that the Switch will overtake the Wii, but I strongly doubt that it will overtake the DS (which is another 60ish million units away), one, due to the considerably higher price point, and second, due to the fact that not every member of a household requires their own console. I also cannot help but suspect that many customers had bought a DS due to the availability of flash carts, though we can only ever speculate on the sales numbers of flash/pirate cartridges.

Maybe, just maybe if the Switch Lite gets a price cut (extremely unlikely with the current parts shortages) or something of a Switch Micro (I would LOVE an even smaller portable-only Switch), then perhaps then the Switch may dethrone the DS, but given how far we are into the console's lifespan, I just don't think it's probable.

Nintendo has lowered their FY2021 Switch hardware forecast from 25.5 million to 24 million, which is obviously bad but makes sense given the semiconductor and Switch OLED model shortage. It's pretty clear by now that 2020 was the peak year for Switch hardware sales, though 2021 will still be an incredibly strong year given the global circumstances.

On the bright side, they have raised their FY2021 Switch software forecast from 190 million to 200 million. I think this is still a conservative figure that will comfortably be exceeded. It remains to be seen if FY2021's software sales can reach that of FY2020 (233 million), but I'm optimistic as Nintendo's upcoming holiday software lineup is considerably stronger than last year's.

Also, Nintendo apparently shipped some Switch OLED models in FY2021 Q2 despite it launching on Oct 8th. However, Nintendo did not break down exactly how many OLED model units were shipped last quarter, which likely implies that the shipment was tiny (like <100,000 units).

I suppose people will say that the Wii is still stronger because most families wouldn't consider buying multiple Wiis for a house, but it's still impressive since I hadn't imagined we would catch up to its record within a decade.

Plus, the Wii had multiple variants too, so it's not the best comparison to make.

@Razputinman The one I bought last night was a standard neon Switch, for one of my children.

I had a £30 voucher code about to expire and the OLED isn't even available at RRP from other retailers so was barely a consideration. And I find the Lite to be overpriced for its shortcomings.

The others I already have:

• Day 1 model
• Extended battery life revision
• Zacian and Zamazenta Edition Lite (overpriced but I got it a bit cheaper and like the design)
• Mario Red

I'm bound to get an OLED and some more lites one day, but I don't need them and they're too pricey to indulge for now. Standard model is the dream come true and I could live with that forevs if I had to.

I feel like the two almost can't be compared. Switch may be a home console, but it's a handheld, too, and people tend to buy more than one of those. At any rate, these are still seriously impressive numbers; now I'm curious if it'll catch the DS someday.

@westman98 Nice one, thanks. Take Animal Crossing out of the equation and sales are essentially still growing.

First of all, congrats to Nintendo. I love my Switch. But: the Switch is not a home console. The Switch Lite does not even connect to a TV! Putting it in a table of Nintendo home consoles next to the Wii is nonsensical.

The system to beat is the Nintendo DS which stands at ~150 million units. I think Nintendo still has a good chance of getting there with the Switch. Something like the Switch Lite can sell for another 5 years for $149 and eventually $99.

Why are y'all buying more than one switch just for slight variations?

I have my OG switch, and I bought a Mario one for my son's Christmas. Would have replaced my OG with a pro, but not an oled, or improved battery, or different colour.

This is why Nintendo phone it in.

And those people who said the Switch would fail. Where are they now?

@Specter_of-the_OLED They won’t do that. Nintendo is competing on quality, and $299 seems to be their sweet spot. If they tried to compete on price they could never beat free smartphone games. That ship has sailed.

@Richnj Because of the bigger screen, and I could sell my old Switch. I bought the OLED.

So now I have the Switch OLED for €150.

@abugida I knew we'd see this as the Switch approached the PS4...
It isn't nonsensical, it's a portable version of what was released as a home console hybrid, priced as a home console.
It's like saying the more powerful PS4 pro can't be included with the PS4 because it isn't the same hardware

@westman98 That is normal. Nintendo is counting a system as sold when the retailer has paid it, which would be several weeks before the consumer buys it.

Sales for the Wii (100 Million) and the DS (150 Million) are impressive to this day, totalling 250 Million units.

Will pass the PS4 easily by the end of next year...
This was unthinkable 4 years back

@Specter_of-the_OLED With supply lasting until.. next week. Lowering the price would only cause more problems.

@Nourldean Then explain to me why the 3DS is not in that table? It launched at $249 like the Wii. Obviously, because home consoles and handhelds are two categories. The Switch and Switch OLED can be considered hybrids (or handhelds). The Switch Lite is not a hybrid by any stretch of the concept. It’s a handheld.

@abugida
Right, Nintendo obviously has to ship their products well before the product actually releases.

I assume the vast majority of Switch OLED models sold during its launch were shipped in early October (Oct 1st-7th) and that only a tiny quantity were shipped before that in September.

@Nourldean Also let me point out that other writers on Nintendolife have said the same before: Compare Switch sales to the Gameboy, DS and 3DS as well, not just home consoles. This article is sort of a regression in that regard.

@westman98 Channel inventory for retail electronics is worth about 4 to 6 weeks. Before a product launch that can be shorter, however I don’t think Nintendo will pay for air freight like Apple for example. They probably put a lot of OLED Switches on boats and trucks in August and September.

@abugida
These numbers are counting shipments that have arrived at retail stores - shipments in transit via boat/airplane are unaccounted for.

And like I mentioned before, Nintendo not disclosing how many OLED models were shipped last quarter (like how they disclose exact Switch Lites shipments) indicates to me that its shipments were very low.

@sanderev so you paid €150 for 0.8 inches of screen.

@Richnj and a better kickstand (which I use a lot more than the old kickstand) and a better screen overall and better speakers.

The OLED is in most aspects a better system. Sure, it has the same SoC. But I rather want Nintendo to use more powerful hardware for the next generation.

@abugida Having a handheld only variation doesn't mean it wasn't originally sold as a home console. If Sony release a PS4 portable during the PS4s lifetime, would that invalidate it too?
Comparing it just to other handhelds is a defense mechanism for those who want to wall it off from it's accomplishment
Oh ok, an NL writer said it, it must be true then...

In case you're still wondering for why Nintendo hasn't upgraded the switch, they have 92 million reasons and counting.

@Nourldean Every single Switch sold is a handheld device with docking capabilities (except the Lite, which is purely a handheld). No PS4 ever sold is a handheld.

I'm guessing the software sales don't include digital? The figure seems low considering how low priced some games are and the sales that happen all the time.

One thing these sales figures really highlight to me is that Nintendo needs to drive the software attach rate up by bringing in a "Selects" range of their biggest hits.

That said, surely the software figure doesn't include all the 1000s of indie games on eShop? Does it include digital at all, in fact?! They are clearly making a mint from the digital and eShop tax, which likely explains their commitment to full price AAA.

@nocdaes
Nintendo does the Selects line when the software sales of the platform is in serious decline, which isn't happening right now with the Switch.

Also, digital-only games are excluded from these figures. TBH I'm not sure why Nintendo does this. Sony includes digital sales in their PlayStation software sales reports, which surely boosts their software numbers by a decent amount.

@Nourldean “Defense mechanism to wall off accomplishments”? That is your emotional baggage, not mine. I’ve been giving Nintendo all my $$$ for decades, even through the Wii U years. In my eyes, the Switch not only had some of the best games ever (I’ve played Breath of the Wild for 400 hours, which is probably just average), it was also a brilliant way to hedge their bets on the console market after the commercial failure of the Wii U while making the perfect handheld. The Switch is a convertible handheld with TV out which can replace a home console. Just like a notebook has USB and HDMI ports and can replace a desktop computer when you plug in a screen and a mouse. But it’s still a notebook. The Switch marketing was beautifully done to sell to an older audience as well, but that’s just marketing. The hardware is not a home console.

@sanderev @abugida Because it can be used as a handheld it doesn't count? That's absurd.
It's designed to be played on a TV
It's priced as a home console
It plays home console games
Nintendo has stated it's a home console
It's a home console

Impressive that they are still above pre-pandemic sales by a good margin. Switch really is a hit. And yes, it is fair to compare it to consoles when it's priced like one.

@IronMan30 @Nourldean So by that logic you’re saying that Nintendo has abandoned the handheld market?

This news is bittersweet to me. Nintendo is at its best when its back is against the wall and its forced into taking risks. At the moment its just the old complacent Nintendo.

@abugida you can always compare its sales to its direct predecessors if you'd like. But that means it's selling well, and you can't think that.

@IronMan30 I never said it’s not selling well. I think it will outsell the DS. I’m just astonished why people would insist that a 10 oz / 300 g mini tablet is primarily a stationary device.

@abugida Fair enough, but most people use that metric as a means of implying it isn't selling well so apologies for putting words in your mouth, as it were.

I just wonder if Switch will ever outsell the DS and PS2. I feel like those are the yardsticks Nintendo REALLY wants to measure it by.

@abugida Switch is a hybrid so it makes sense to list it alongside all of Nintendo consoles anyway. Restricting the chart to handhelds would be just as disingenuous since few to no other handhelds connect to TV and no others whatsoever (G&W Vs editions were single game machines, not consoles) allow single screen multiplayer. The latter of which you can even pull off on Switch Lite to this day, if no longer out the box - and besides, on the Lite topic, we don't relieve Vita of its handheld status just because one of its revisions literally didn't work without a TV.

As for Switch reaching NDS numbers, it mainly depends on the arrival of its successor, the latter's details like format and backward compatibility etc. I'm still tempted to view as NDS the all-time bestseller anyway (since PS2 production lifespan technically lasted that much longer as well), but who knows what its numbers would be if 3DS entered the stage just a year later. Regardless, statistically third all-time place among consoles in general looks rather guaranteed for Switch at the lowest. Even if PS5 succeeds as much as some Sony audiences believe, it will already have Switch to challenge for that "bronze" by then, not PS4.

@Specter_of-the_OLED lol drop it a 100 bucks lol I'm glad Nintendo don't bend to people

@marandahir by the end of next year it will

@d-slice
Debatable. Some people might say the Switch was stronger because it gave people the option between choosing to share one console or buy multiple. Very few games actually forced the multiple consoles.

The sales say enough. You don't need the best hardware to make a good console, ESPECIALLY trying to cram expensive hardware into a tiny tablet. Once again, the Steam Deck is a bad example because of how much it needs to sell for Valve to break even. Nintendo would never want to go to that extent. And once again, games like Metroid Dread prove that good graphics and gameplay are possible on the Switch if there is proper optimization, not hardware.

Despite it’s imperfections (NSO expansion pack, joy-con drift, etc.) It really is an amazing gaming device.

@abugida no I don't think that, by you're logic they've abandoned the home console market
Neither are entirely true, it's considered a hybrid for a reason, it's both whether you wanna compare it or not

@Nourldean It's also designed to be a handheld device. So it's a handheld.

I took my PS4 with me on the train once.

I couldn't plug it in anywhere.
I couldn't see what it was displaying.
It was heavy.
I couldn't attach the controller to it and use it while holding it.

The Switch is a handheld console, with a TV out.

I still don't understand why the switch is still compared to home consoles when it has obviously a portable hardware.

It is a shame that they're struggling with the chip shortage. Switch by all accounts has been amazing for Nintendo. I'm not sure if as some have said here that Switch will beat Wii during this Quarter. We'll have to wait and see but Nintendo could honestly keep Switch going for another 2/3 years and then move on. The amount of money they've made from this console must be a rediculous amount. Add to that Mario kart 8 Deluxe becoming the best selling in the Mario kart series and being a port, they're rolling in their money. This is also the reason they recovered from the Wii U after that spectacular bomb. They have the cash to survive these things.

@sanderev Its designed to be both, you know that

@Nourldean Yep. I said also.

Is this the part where we all say hiw many more units they could or could have sold if they just followed our business strategies, since they clearly need it and we obviously know better than them?

... checks comments... yep, this is that part.

Imagine when the prices drops more for the Switch.

When you can get a Lite for £100 and the OLD is £250 the thing will be selling like crazy.

@westman98 I think 2020 would have been different with sales if there was no lockdown. Looks like normal growth progression if you compare 2021 to 2019.

@thiz OG, Mariko and OLED. However, I have traded away my previous models and just have the OLED. Love it.

@sanderev @abugida @Nourldean I think it is an interesting debate on if the switch is a true hybrid or a handheld with docking capability. Because of the lite I personally view it as a handheld that can be docked. However, given the price and games selection Nintendo clearly views it as a hybrid.

Having said all of that, people consider the ps vita a handheld, but sony did release the PlayStation vita tv that could only be played on a tv… so I can see how someone would say just because the switch lite exist doesn’t invalidate the switches hybrid status.

@nhSnork made the same point about the vita having a tv only version.

@Specter_of-the_OLED Yeah absolutely none of that is gonna happen. OLED launched less than a month ago!

don't see Switch beating Wii by end of December anymore

THE SWITCH CANNOT BE STOPPED!

@KBuckley27 looked it up, apparently the switch sold 10.81 million copies in the holiday quarter in 2019. Someone on the comments showed the switch sales for the current quarter being announced over the years. Seems like excluding last year its higher then other years, so if that holds it should be able to pass the wii as it is performing better than 2019 and even if it matches or sells a little less it will still pass it!

@CactusMan It's definitely not my favourite system when it comes to UI and having options and customisation, but as a dedicated games system, once I'm playing games, and with the diversity of quality games available, it probably is, or at least among the best.

PS Vita did the other things better, with folders and custom wall papers and a web browser and stuff, Wii U did the web browser best, playing youtube on tv while browsing several tabs with a game paused in the background, and also had a very pleasant menu (back when it was still alive) and community (miiverse). Gamecube has the most memorable boot sequence and menu, both in visual and audio design and some hilarious easter eggs changing the boot sequence audio. As for standard controllers / controls (not pro-controllers), its between Gamecube, Wii (yes, I love what they did when implemented right, especially the pointer), and Wii U (I also love the Gamepad, yes).
When it comes to the design of the system itself, the hardware, I'd say the small models of ps1 and 2 were great for their simplicity, Gamecube with Gameboy Player for actually being a cube with a handle and a nice front and colours, Gameboy Micro for absolute attractiveness, and Pikachu N64 for cuteness. 3ds had some great editions, and I love the layered design of the first model, from a purely visual perspective.

And still, Switch is my favourite right now, because it's what I play 99% of the time, and it does very well what it does, and what gaming devices are mostly for. Also, I like the handheld-to-2-player-tabletop-where-and-whenever design.

Those are just my opinions of course.

@Silly_G Switch micro would be really cool. Something like a PSP go or even a clamshell device. Something truly pocketable would get a purchase from me.

That software sales figure seems off - average of approx. 7 games per Switch seems really low. Would be interesting to see a breakdown of those figures. I've probably bought that in the last few weeks, never mind the lifetime of my Switch.

I realise I'm probably not the average buyer - and likely most on here aren't either - but that means there must be some that are only buying maybe 1 or 2 games. I guess the % buying loads of games is likely small enough that it doesn't skew the average too much maybe?

@Specter_of-the_OLED Well, you are assuming they can stock enough of them this Holiday season. I imagine parents are going to have a hard time finding some gifts for their kids due to chip shortages and supply chain woes.

Catching the Wii?!? Just Dance 2030 for Switch CONFIRMED!

@Silly_G The Wii sold software long after it stopped selling hardware. The software peak of any console is usually after it's hardware peak. This number for the Switch does not include digital only games btw. With those it would be a good deal higher.

@Specter_of-the_OLED The OLED already launched a month ago.

@abugida
How is the Switch not (also) a home console? I play my Switch at home, connected to a TV almost all the time.

Just like with PS5, if they could adequately stock the shelves, I'm sure it would be far more successful than it currently is. Sucks for them and for us

And to think half those wii sales were from casuals who just wanted to get fit and do some zumba.

The switch has been excellent so and definitely the best nintendo system I've played and the second best console in general to me. Just wish it had more third party support but tbh it's ok becuase Nintendo dishes out more first, second and third party exclusives per year than xbox and playstation combined.

Kinda worried what Nintendo will do after switch

@Mando44646 there are plenty of the normal version and lite available in the UK, amazon, game, curry's, very.co, smyths have all got them in stock. The oled though is a different matter.

It will likely overtake it within an year which is impressive considering that this year we did not really had that system selling game compared to other years.

Still 2022 is looking to have an few games that will likely help sell an Bunch of switches as next year we can at least expect splatoon 3, pokemon arceus and maybe even Zelda botw 2

If not for Covid Supply chain issue I think those numbers would be very different and probably bigger as without supply chain issues they would ramp up production and introduce a new Switch lineup but Covid made that change fast.

Oh wow, its totally going to catch up!

@Specter_of-the_OLED
The price of the base switch and switch lite might drop next year

@marandahir
PS2 lifespan was between 12 to 13 years

@KBuckley27
Nintendo only needs to ship slightly over 8 million Switch units this holiday for it to exceed the Wii, which should easily happen.

@scotty123 The price of the base switch and switch lite might drop next year
Alot of wishful thinking - that's not going to happen they can still sell the v2 Switch at 299.99usd and OLED at 349.99usd and Lite at current prices. I see nothing in the forecast that will force to sell for less. So unless a Super Switch with higher GPU/CPU and OLED comes out next spring those prices will remain as they are. Unless you have insider information the rest of the readers don't have please enlighten us to it.

@Serialsid I don't see them in stock very often here in the US. I will see an occasional Lite at Target or such, but thats it.

I'm going to borrow and slightly alter the subtitle from a recent NintendoLife article. 😁

"Please stop buying it, people, we want a Switch 2"

@Mando44646 we must be lucky in the UK then, plenty of places have them in store.

@dmcc0 There are millions of Switch owners who probably only bought it for BoTW or AC:NH... Then only ever bought smash or Mario kart.

@SwitchForce you could argue that the Switch saw a massive boost in sales last year due to the various lockdowns going on around the world, so I don't think the total number would've been that different without Covid. The smaller sales this year due to shortages likely just cancel out the extra sales generated last year while everyone was stuck at home playing

this is so misleading! When the Wii was out, the DS was simultaneously doing a lot of sales. Now there is just 1 Nintendo console. So apples and oranges

daaaaaaang! That's a lot of sales!!

The question is, will it outsell the DS, Nintendo's best-selling system of all time, at over 150 million units sold?

Or even the PS2, Sony's best-selling system of all time, at over 200 million units sold?

@AstroTheGamosian Wait, do you seriously think the PS2 sold over 200 million?
Here's something for you then:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles
The PS2 sold around 155 million units, the DS 154 million.

@KBuckley27

I would be shocked if it didn’t pass the Wii by December 31st

2017 holiday sales would get it to 100.1 mil
2018 gets it to 102.28 mil
2019 gets it to 103.68 mil
2020 gets it to 104.44 mil

So the switch just needs to have a holiday season as good as any of the last three to pass the Wii. Realistically, only chip shortages would prevent that. OLED alone has helped.

Seeing grown adults arguing semantics over whether the Switch is a home console or a handheld will never not be funny. It's marketed as a hybrid, it's a hybrid. It competes in the same space as PlayStation and Xbox for sales and shelf space.

How can these numbers even be legitimate when all the consoles are getting scalped. Only a few hundred reviews on each site. Constantly sold out. Nintendo showing off their numbers like some sort of acheivement. Yeah right. These aren't individual people grabbing a console and getting all excited, it's scalpers and bots swiping them all and reselling them for double the amount or more. Nintendo can suck one.

@BTB20 Whoops! I misremembered. My bad.

@scotty123 And the Nintendo DS had a lifespan of 9 years (and only 6 without a replacement rendering it obsolete) and sold nearly as many units. Your point?

We're coming up on 5 years now with the Switch. Will the Switch have a long enough lifespan to catch up or will it become obsolete before then? I hope not!

@PoeTheLizard Seeing grown adults arguing semantics over whether the Switch is a home console or a handheld will never not be funny. It's marketed as a hybrid, it's a hybrid.
Clarification it's a hybrid console not just a hybrid. So your mistaken to what it's actually called.

Here's info to that:
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid video game console, consisting of a console unit, a dock, and two Joy-Con controllers. Although it is a hybrid console, Nintendo classifies it as "a home console that you can take with you on the go".

@PoeTheLizard It competes in the same space as PlayStation and Xbox for sales and shelf space.

That's it does but it's does more and gets more gamers of different age, gender, grouping to enjoy together in the same room. The Switch encompasses more then just Shoot'em up games or Masculinity games. This is why it's success as it is.

@CactusMan it will take over the Wii by the end of the current fiscal year. It is still very much high in demand, plus some killer games will be launched soon.

@Specter_of-the_OLED If it is selling very well now at its current price, why tf would Nintendo discount it? It doesn't make sense. Nintendo will not do that and they don't have to. Plus Nintendo is not a big fan of discounts, anyway. The Wii U was losing money left and right but still the Big N did not give it a (massive) discount.

I hope it outsells, Both, the Wii and the DS! Nintendo Switch is Incredible!

@AstroTheGamosian Absolutely, it's very Possible.

@scotty123 The ONLY Reason why ps2 had a lifespan of 12 years was because of the "cheap DVD player" factor. Personally, I've purchased a second ps2 slim just for a DVD player. Nintendo Switch on the other hand can be played ON THE GO! Obsolete discs vs. 'On the Go', which would you prefer. Exactly why I see Nintendo Switch outselling ps2.

It even surpassed the NES!

Is it safe to just call it a nice round 95 million until the next official update? There’s no way it didn’t hit that mark during the holiday season.

@Blooblah Scalping is a fairly reliable indicator of a popular product, and the same happens to all the good consoles. If those scalpers misjudged the market, well, they’re stuck with a bunch of Switches. If they sell them to impatient rich kids, Nintendo sells Switches either way so unfortunately it counts and doesn’t matter.

(Sure maybe Nintendo could try harder to counter this, but of all the things to hate on Nintendo about, this is very low on my list… let’s get these stupid joy-cons fixed.) 😛