The Nintendo Switch Becomes The Fastest Selling Console In American History

Nintendo Enjoyed an insanely popular 2017, and now they have even more to celebrate. As of now, the Nintendo Switch has officially become the fastest selling console in American history. The Switch, edges out the Nintendo Wii which was the previous record holder, by almost a million units. The Nintendo Switch debuted on March 3, 2017 and in less than 10 months it surpassed 4.8 million units sold in the U.S. That’s an insane amount of units Nintendo was able to move in less than a year, and even more impressive that they’ve been able to do it with two separate consoles. I’d imagine that number is set to balloon once the figures for holiday sales are included.

The console sales were spurred on by a strong library of titles, led by Nintendo’s two biggest franchises. Over 60 percent of Nintendo Switch owners bought Super Mario Odyssey, while 55 percent purchased The Legend Of Zelda: The Breath Of The Wild. “Fans across the country have experienced the joy of playing their favorite games at home or on the go,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s President and COO. “Now that many more people have received Nintendo Switch systems for the holidays, we look forward to bringing them fun new surprises in 2018 and beyond.”

Add that to the fact that over 300 other titles have launched for the Switch, and you have a guaranteed recipe for continued success. This year, Nintendo Switch owners can look forward to Nintendo-published games like Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2 and a new game starring Yoshi. Fans can also expect continued support from major publishers such as EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, SEGA, Take 2 and Bethesda, plus a growing catalog of quality content from indie developers.

While Sony may have had a handy lead initially in the next-gen console wars, it looks like Nintendo is rapidly catching up.