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Nintendo Switch Sales Near 5 Million In First Four Months On Sale

Console sales soar as Zelda: Breath of the Wild sells 4 million copies.

108 Comments

The Nintendo Switch has sold nearly five million units since its launch in March, the Japanese publisher announced today. The company stated in its quarterly earnings report that the hybrid console had shifted 4.7 million units by the end of June 2017. Switch sales are projected to reach 10 million by the end of March next year.

Elsewhere, the system's biggest sellers include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild--which sold 3.92 million units up to the end of June (though it's unclear whether this also includes Wii U software sales)--and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, of which 3.5 million copies were sold in the same period. The only other Switch game to sell over 1 million units by then was Arms, whose sales stood at 1.18 million. The console's latest big title, Splatoon 2, was not considered in the April-June report as its launch came in July.

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The Switch's strong showing follows a launch that saw it ship 2.74 million units in March alone--however, that figure applies to units shipped to retailers only, and not consumer sales. Today's earnings report says nearly 2 million more units have been sold through to consumers since, leading to an increase in year-on-year revenue. Check out all the details from Nintendo's financial highlights here.

Supply shortages continue to be an issue for the Switch, and it seems likely that sales would be even higher were it not for that. GameStop has suggested that could be a problem for the entire year, and Nintendo of Japan recently apologized for the situation.

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Kalbent

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Not gonna lie. bought one just for Zelda. I don't regret it one bit. I at least waited to get it at the MSRP of 299.99. They're out there go get one.

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ArabrockermanX

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Well looks like they might actually hit 10 mil. Only factor now is holiday supply.

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maximimon

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Mmmm weird , didnt the Nintendoom crew predicted the Switch would be dead by now along with Nintendo?, the holidays are closing in and so is the New Mario game , mmmmm maybe the Switch is a success after all? XD

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Litchie

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How does it compare to Wii U?

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Doctor_MG

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@Litchie:

The Wii U in the same time frame had only sold about 3.45 million, and it took the Wii U 13 months or so to cross the 4 million mark.

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Risingdawn

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As mainline titles such as Mario, Pokemon, Fire Emblem and Metroid release 3DS owners will migrate to Switch steadily maintaining sales.

Holiday season will see massive sales due to the "gotta have one" toy like factor of the console combined with Mario release and a cheaper price point compared with rival console release XBOX X.

3DS will be slowly fazed out to migrate the consumer base.

Switch will continue to be a massive success and Pokemon will blow sales through the roof.

This is my prediction, feel free to link back to this should I be wrong. I highly doubt I will be.

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DEVILTAZ35

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Edited By DEVILTAZ35

Great console , glad to hear it is doing so well. Snake Pass is alot of fun on the handheld too. Was surprised to see it at 40% off in a sale so soon after release too.

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Otterbee

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I guess my question for clarification would be: is this worldwide, or US only sales? I'm assuming it's worldwide, but it's not clear. Then...if it is worldwide, what is the breakdown between Japan and "outside-Japan" sales. Because, that puts these numbers in a bit more context, and provides a bit more insights on how these sales will continue.

My competing prediction is these sales will fall of a cliff...even with the holiday season approaching. Unless they introduce some sort of price redux and/or package/bundle pricing that gives more value for dollar.

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maximimon

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@otterbee: according to many prophets as you sales should have "fallen of a cliff after launch" since its was pure hype, maybe its time to accept the Switch is a success?

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Redsyrup

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@maximimon: When you factor in Nintendo's keen understanding of artificial demand this will take some time. When it hits it will hit hard. Thanks for playing!

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Risingdawn

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@otterbee:

If you thinks sales "will fall off a cliff" with Mario releasing for holiday season you're completely nuts.

Not to mention franchises such as Pokemon, Fire Emblem, Dragon Quest, Xenoblade and Metroid all announced but yet to release for the console.

My prediction counter to your own is as you see the mainline franchises release for Switch you will see a steady migration of 3DS owners to the system maintaining high sales well into the next couple of years.

Switch despite anyone's assertions to the contrary is successor to the 3DS, 3DS will be slowly fazed out and the customer base will move to Switch.

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Renunciation

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Nintendo Switch: Perhaps the one time that I was glad a store employee asked me, "Hi, can I help you find something?"

I'd gone through the video game section at Best Buy, and didn't see any Switches on the shelves. When I mentioned it to the employee, however, he said that they might have some that hadn't yet been put out to replace the Switches sold the day before.

And that worked out: Waaaay high up (definitely over twice my own height), there was a stack of ~6 Switch boxes. I bought one with BotW + a Pro controller, and have been pleased with the purchase.

I still spend more time gaming on my PS4 and PC, because they have more games available. Switch is the new "greatness awaits" system.

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DEVILTAZ35

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@Renunciation: Very true, get Snake Pass if you haven't already. It's much more fun on the hand held.

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Renunciation

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@deviltaz35: I may do that later, but I need to finish Zelda first!

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DEVILTAZ35

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@Renunciation: I honestly just can't get into Zelda. It's just all rather samey and boring to me but i haven't played much of Zelda in the past. I prefer full talking adventures and the awful silly language in this kind of turned me off it. I do like the full interaction but the creatures are all a bit silly for me. I guess i was spoilt with Witcher 3 that everything else seems a bit ordinary by comparison now.

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tonyleo01

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Main console shortage is kinda understandable, whatever. But how in the hell I still can't find an extra set of joy-con in store??

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ArabrockermanX

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Edited By ArabrockermanX

@tonyleo01: Because some of the components found in the Joy-con are causing the shortage(HD-Rumble shares parts with iPhones and Apple has priority on the supply).

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Jag-T1000

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So the people that wanted one, bought one by now. The real trick now is to get regular gamers to purchase one. I dont see myself buying one until Metroid 4 comes out.

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JoshRMeyer

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@Jag-T1000: As 70's said, I'll be getting one by the time Mario comes out.

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Dr_Vancouver

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VV Lol at all the salt down there VV

It's a great system. The wife picked up her own Switch yesterday because of Splatoon 2, and we don't like to share. Salty people still love throwing shade because it doesn't have XBoneX specs- I don't think they realize it's a handheld. That said, games looks gorgeous whether playing in handheld mode, or docked on my 65" 4K Samsung UN65JS9000 with a Pro Controller in hand. Games from talented developers like BotW and Splatoon 2 prove that specs are meaningless.

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dhaynes25

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@dr_vancouver: Love my Switch on my Vizio 55" 4K/HDR Vizio P series TV. Got it one 2 months later with Zelda, Mario Kart, Link amiibo for $425 brand new from Ebay. I got lucky. Pro controller and a second set of joy-cons it has been a favorite for my wife, 2 year old son and I as we play ARMS, platoon 2 and Mario Kart. It's a great system but I still love my PS4 and X1S but Nintendo did good this time. Hopefully, they produce more quickly so everyone can enjoy it.

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BigGamerDude

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@dr_vancouver: Its actually pretty close to the XB1 OG in terms of specs. So yeah, it can handle multiplat games.

Devs havent exactly utilised the full power of it yet.

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ArabrockermanX

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@biggamerdude: It isn't, it is around 500 GFLOPs. Rumors of it having around 1 TFLOP were false.

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BigGamerDude

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@7tizz: not really, I get that some games need the power, various UBI games, PC2, but Im pretty sure its that the switch has such a small install base right now, and that porting would be a bit more of a cost and little profit from it. They could port those games to the switch. They wouldnt look as good as they do on PS4 and X1, but they could do it.

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BigGamerDude

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@7tizz: How in the hell am I in fanboy mode? And its worth noting that there are games coming to the lesser platform. If they cant put games on a lesser platform, how does project cars exist? The game was started from scratch for PC, and ported to XB1 and PS4.

Im not a fanboy. I havent owned a nintendo console since the wii. Its my own common sense.

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inkman66

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@dr_vancouver EXACTLY !!!! It is a handheld that you can play on your tv. I still don't know why Nintendo did not embrace this angle instead of letting their ego get the best of them by having to market it as a console. Let Microsoft and Sony fight it out for number one.....Nintendo will make a darn good chunk of change as a rock solid number two.

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JoshRMeyer

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@inkman66: I'm guessing they did that so they weren't competing with themselves(3ds sales).

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deactivated-64efdf49333c4

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@dr_vancouver: Told you all people would see this thing as a handheld even though it's not, heh.

The official word from Nintendo is that this is a hybrid platform that is generally treated like a stationary console. It can be used as a handheld but is limited enough in that capacity that it shouldn't be used exclusively for that purpose; however, I've stated numerous times people won't care and will view it as a handheld. You're the proof.

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tonyleo01

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@Barighm: I guess it's whatever you want it to be. I do use it in handheld mode probably 90% of the 200 hours I put on Zelda, even though I have a dock hooked up to my second screen monitor. But strangely, I have yet to take the Switch outside the house like how I do with my 3DS. The portability around the house is awesome, but I think it's a tad overkill to whip it out on the go.

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Heqteur

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@7tizz: a home console is nothing more than a console you play on a tv screen.... To some other, it also needs to be hooked up to an electric outlet with an ac adapter, which Switch certainly has, so by definition and no matter what you want or not, it DEFINITELY is a home console.

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JoshRMeyer

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@7tizz: GameCube, Wii and wiiU wouldn't be considered consoles either then.

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JoshRMeyer

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Edited By JoshRMeyer

@7tizz: Same here, and yup, since GameCube, Nintendo's have always been a second console just for exclusives. No point in owning 2 systems with the same games anyways.

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BigGamerDude

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@7tizz: Its still a home console.

A home console is a system you need to set up to the TV to play.

For the switch to properly work it has to be connected to a power supply and TV, without that connection the tablet wont work. It wont charge the tablet. But its also partially portable.

They're buying it as a backup system for their kids

Read the original comment

a guy and his wife bought switches for themselves. And the countless other people who bought the switch.

Its for everyone.

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Heqteur

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@7tizz: no. your GB and GBA DON'T have any adapter to hook them up to a TV screen. The closes to that would be to have a super Gameboy adapter, which HAD to be inserted in an SNES cartridge slot so you can play Gameboy cartridge... in your SNES, which means your GB is NOT hooked to a tv screen, hence, not a home console. stop trying to be a smartass when you clearly lack the cleverness to be so.

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JoshRMeyer

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@7tizz: That's kinda how I feel also, except one big difference is how the games run and look when docked.

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rawkstar007

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Edited By rawkstar007  Online

What I want to know is where are those 1 million who bought the console but did NOT buy Breath of the Wild and how can we raise social awareness of this issue?

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