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Nintendo's latest financials are live, and with the new sales figures comes another sale milestone for the juggernaut that is the Nintendo Switch. The Switch family of consoles, consisting of the standard Switch, the Lite and the OLED, has now sold 103.54 million units, reaching that number in only five years, faster than any other home console. Notably, the Switch still has some time left in its life cycle, while the Wii, Nintendo's previous best-selling home console, sold 101.63 million units in its lifetime, The Switch has now eclipsed the Wii U , which ended its life cycle with only 13.5 million sales.

While the Switch could be classified as Nintendo's best-selling home console, the hybrid console still lags behind some of the company's other handheld releases. The Game Boy and Game Boy Color sold 118.69 million units, and the Nintendo DS family of consoles sold a whopping 154.02 million units. Besides those two, the Switch is also still chasing the Sony PlayStation 4 at 116.6 million units and the PlayStation 2 at approximately 155 million.

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[fst312]

A handheld selling well for nintendo is nothing new. What would the sells have been if the console wasn’t portable. If the console wasn’t portable would they still have called it switch to show they left the Wii name.

 

[relauby]

isnt it 5 years? March 2017 to Feb 2022....

Anyway, I think the Switch will be still around for at least 2 more years, so it will probably reach >140 million.

103.54 ÷ 13.5 = 7.67

Not sure how the math was so far off, you literally just need to move the decimal over one to 135 to see how much is needed to outsell the Wii U 10 to 1.

Oops, that's embarrassing haha. That's why you shouldn't try to write something first thing in the morning. It's been fixed now.

 

[Axido]

There's also the fact that the sale price of games has not changed at all since that time, but the cost of developing games has gone up.

What's that "fact" you are talking about? Last time I checked top-tier Wii games had an MSRP of $50 (however, the Wii U raised that number to $60, but then again the Switch does not offer that much more raw performance) and handheld Nintendo games up until the 3DS almost always cost $40 or less. We could also argue about the cost of developing those games having increased that much, since the hardware requirements and art styles of Nintendo games might be on the less cost-intensive side of the spectrum. That being said, I think they're fine.

 

[Marc_LFD]

I just don't get it. The Switch is an under powered, overrated, pile of crap. 5 years later, It only has a handful of exclusive titles that are worth playing. Most of it's big name titles were available on the Wii U years ago. I still think a modded Wii U is far superior to a jailbroken Switch in terms of flexibility with backward compatibility, etc. I have owned a Switch since 2018 and I have barely touched it. Mostly only play PC, PS4/5, and Wii U. Goes to show you how marketing can make a crap product successful, and lack of marketing (Wii U) can make an excellent product a disaster.

Even being underpowered and maybe somewhat of a disappointment, it still has a solid library of games.

I played Mario Odyssey and I loved every moment, just a shame it had to end.

 

[WG481]

Looking back, I think I enjoyed the Wii more than the Switch. Even though the Switch is better console, I just remember enjoying Wii more.

Who doesn't enjoy the Wii more?
That's really the most iconic Nintendo console.

 

[lordofcombo]

Lots of salty guys here over nintys success.Imagine having Rockstar backing them up with GTA.they would have outsold PS2

 

[jt_1258]

Maybe it is a silly idea of mine, but I think since Nintendo lost its individual home and portable console sales for this to happen - you really need to cut the number in half to directly compare to older systems

If you combined the Wii and DS sales you get something like 250 million units - so Nintendo has still lost market from that time imo

even with that idea I wouldn't say it would be a clean cut in half considering the fact that I'm sure there was a heavy overlap between people who owned a wii and people who owned a ds. to be fair, we also count ps2 system sales of all the people who literally just bought and only ever used it as a dvd player...so not even a gaming system at that point for a chunk of households

 

[Kioku]

I just don't get it. The Switch is an under powered, overrated, pile of crap. 5 years later, It only has a handful of exclusive titles that are worth playing. Most of it's big name titles were available on the Wii U years ago. I still think a modded Wii U is far superior to a jailbroken Switch in terms of flexibility with backward compatibility, etc. I have owned a Switch since 2018 and I have barely touched it. Mostly only play PC, PS4/5, and Wii U. Goes to show you how marketing can make a crap product successful, and lack of marketing (Wii U) can make an excellent product a disaster.

With as much disdain as I have toward Nintendo and the Switch system? It's the experience. They care more about the quality of gameplay over raw performance. Even though Breath of the Wild, Legends of Arceus, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc. have frame drops and performance issues? The games themselves are fun and memorable. Not everyone wants or cares about backwards compatibility. Hell, the number of people that do is smaller than one would think.

 

[PatrickD85]

It was only a matter of time really, so yeah, good for them.

 

[pedro702]

Wii Classic Controller had analog triggers and beginning with Wii U they downgraded them to digital triggers. Nintendo does some stuff right, and some wrong.

Speaking of controllers, the layout of the Wii U GamePad/Pro Controller was rather odd although it was perfect for fps games (not that many, tbh).

Steam Deck seems to have borrowed Nintendo's two top analog sticks idea and hopefully improve it.

false lol

the original wii classic controller had analog triggers but the classic controller pro released latter only had digital triggers, so during the wii era the official pro controllers were already only digital.

 

[XDel]

Any console hooked up to a TV collects dust, whether you play it or not. Wii is better btw.

Naturally, and for the note, I like my Wii, but the reality is that it was marketted to children and old people so many never got a taste of its better titles, plus some of those games that FORCED motion control ruined them selves and the fun. Far Cry cough cough.

 

[Marc_LFD]

false lol

the original wii classic controller had analog triggers but the classic controller pro released latter only had digital triggers, so during the wii era the official pro controllers were already only digital.

Not false, the option was there. It's actually nice to have controllers with digital and analog triggers.

PS4/Xbox have too, but it's third party ones. I thought about buying a Hori Minipad Pikachu Black/Gold controller, 'cept I already have one similar and the Stadia controller. Plus, DS3s, a DS4, etc.

 

[pedro702]

This is interesting to think about because it seems like Nintendo might have fucked up. I wonder what their total profits including hardware+software looks like today compared to the era when they had separate handheld/home consoles?

I'm sure the Switch has sold way more games than the Wii ever did, but did it overtake Wii+DS sales? There's also the fact that the sale price of games has not changed at all since that time, but the cost of developing games has gone up.

They're undoubtedly in a much better position today than they were back in the Wii-U/3DS era, but maybe the hybrid console wasn't the smartest decision?

it was the best decision, they had studios working on 2 different systems so their focus were scattered, and handheld games costed way less retail than home console games now all games cost 60$ for them even simple games like advance wars that would come out on like 3ds successor now cost 60 instead of 45.

Now they only focus on one hardware and all the studios work on the same console they can make more games instead of splitting their focus, also wii+ds sales was a one time deal, they would never be able to make a home console+handheld sell 255 million altogether ever again lol.

They did the right decision, handheld market was not that popular due to everyone playing games on their phones that is why the 3ds sold hald of the ds, and maybe 3d sucessor would sell alot worse imo. Combining both gave them the best overall achievement imo.

 

[SaulFabre]

Interesting how the Nintendo Switch overpassed Wii's sales, OMG.

But anyways, i still will love the Wii, it's my favorite Nintendo home console, with the homebrew and scene still alive in 2022.

 

[pedro702]

Not false, the option was there. It's actually nice to have controllers with digital and analog triggers.

PS4/Xbox have too, but it's third party ones. I thought about buying a Hori Minipad Pikachu Black/Gold controller, 'cept I already have one similar and the Stadia controller. Plus, DS3s, a DS4, etc.

doesnt exclsude the fact ninty was already phazing out the analog triggers and you couldnt even find the original classic controller officially after mid wii lifecycle only the pro remained.They stopped producing the original one on wii 4 year or so.

 

[Noctosphere]

Who doesn't enjoy the Wii more?
That's really the most iconic Nintendo console.

THE most iconic Nintendo console is the NES, second place is the N64
They are the most prized by collectors

 

[pedro702]

THE most iconic Nintendo console is the NES, second place is the N64
They are the most prized by collectors

well i dont know the GC is probably the more prized than N64 the prices for its games are becoming insane, more expensive than collecting for N64 for sure, the wii definitely isnt a console that will be iconic or collectors trying to get full sets, since 90% is shoverware pure and simple.

 

[|<roni&g]

Need all models hackable now

 

[Noctosphere]

well i dont know the GC is probably the more prized than N64 the prices for its games are becoming insane, more expensive than collecting for N64 for sure, the wii definitely isnt a console that will be iconic or collectors trying to get full sets, since 90% is shoverware pure and simple.

Gamecube was actually the very first home console to be portable

 

[raxadian]

Still waiting for Switch model with more ram.