Nintendo’s Switch console has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 132 million units sold, as reported by Eurogamer. This achievement places the Switch within striking distance of the Nintendo DS, which holds the title of the company’s top-selling console at 154 million units.
The Switch’s success is partly attributed to the OLED model, which has become particularly popular, indicating that consumers are willing to invest in an enhanced screen experience or upgrade from older models.
Despite the Switch’s continued sales momentum, Nintendo remains tight-lipped about a successor. Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, on a conference call following the earnings release, declined to comment on any plans for a new console, even amidst rumors of a potential 2024 release. Furukawa emphasized the Switch’s unique position in the market, suggesting it has the potential to generate different kinds of new demand.
Software sales have also been robust for Nintendo. Pikmin 4 has emerged as the top-selling game in its series, with 2.61 million units sold, and a significant portion of these sales coming from Japan.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has reached 19.5 million units sold, making it the ninth best-selling game on the Switch, though it still trails behind the 31.15 million units of Breath of the Wild.
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The success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie has had a halo effect on Mario game sales, with Mario Kart seeing an additional 3.22 million units sold this financial year. This brings Mario Kart’s total sales to 57.01 million units, meaning that nearly 43 percent of Switch owners also own a copy of Mario Kart.
Digital sales have accounted for just over half of total software sales, though this represents a decline in the ratio of digital to overall sales compared to the previous year, due in part to the strong physical sales of Tears of the Kingdom. This suggests that while digital sales are growing for Nintendo, physical copies remain popular for major releases.
Financially, Nintendo is in a strong position, with net sales up 21.2 percent for the first half of the fiscal year and operating profit up by 27 percent. These figures have led Nintendo to raise its annual profit forecast, with analysts attributing this to better-than-expected sales across key franchises.
