Nintendo took a big risk releasing the successor to the much-maligned Nintendo Wii U in the first quarter of 2017, but it seems to have worked out. The company announced the Switch has sold 10 million units worldwide.
The Nintendo Switch was released on March 17, a time of year that is, as Nintendo stated in a press release, “not usually reserved for home console launches” and with a seemingly small library of games at launch. And yet, the company managed to give gamers a place to play their beloved Nintendo games anywhere.
“As you can see in people’s living rooms, on a plane or riding the subway, fans all over the world can enjoy playing Nintendo Switch wherever they go,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime in a press release. “The response from fans has been great, and we’re doing our very best to satisfy demand during the holiday shopping season.”
Well-timed releases of some of the best first-party titles of the year, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, helped the Nintendo Switch sell 10 million units worldwide.
The games library for the Switch, which at first was shallow, quickly expanded with third-party and independent games that helped satiate gamers’ appetites. Nintendo also released new first-party titles periodically through the first few months of the Switch’s life.
From Nintendo Wii U ports like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokken Tournament DX, to sequels like Splatoon 2, and brand new IP in ARMS there were games for every type of gamer. More third-party support came at the latter half of 2017, with the release of FIFA 18, LA Noire, Skyrim, Stardew Valley and more.
So where does the Switch go from here? Nintendo has already announced major titles coming to the Switch in 2018, including Mega Man 11 and games like Metroid Prime 4, Bayonetta 3 and a new Pokémon game.
Are you surprised that the Switch sold 10 million units? Are you holding out until next year to pick one up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
