The Nintendo Switch is on a spree! After exceeding 5 million sold units in Japan last month, the handheld-home console hybrid has achieved a new milestone with 22.86 million units sold, officially surpassing the GameCube's 21.74 million units during its lifetime and nearly doubling that of the WiiU.

The news come from the Big N's latest financial data on dedicated video game sales units. You can compare the data with other systems' lifetime sales with the image below:

Sitting on the throne is the Nintendo DS with a whooping 154.02 million units shipped while at the bottom of the ladder is the WiiU with a mere 13.56 million units sold. Given the current trend, the Switch is in line to overtake the Nintendo 64, which sold 32.93 million units. Do you think the Switch has what it takes? How much do you predict the console will sell during its lifetime?

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[the_randomizer]

It's just strange that something that was manufactured for what, like 5 years? can double and nearly triple the sales of something that was being sold and manufactured for 20.

Japan is a mobile oriented country, well Asia is very mobile oriented, of course it's gonna sell like crazy vs a console. TBH, I'm not even a big fan of the NES/Famicom.

 

[leon315]

will switch reach Wii's milestone.....

 

[the_randomizer]

will switch reach Wii's milestone.....

I imagine it may gt fairly close, and for a Nintendo console, that's a helluva feat.

 

[alainvey]

I mean, that's not really that difficult. Nintendo's mainstream consoles (not counting the Fluke Wii) have sold like ass since the N64 days, of course a Nintendo portable (call it a hybrid all you want, it's a portable ;O;) is going to outsell the GC. I mean, shit, the original XBOX outsold the GC, too, and that's really saying something ;O;

And if you exclude every other console other than the Wii U, then the N64 is the best selling console of all time.

Nintendo could produce a dozen more 100m sellers and you could still argue that other than their “flukes” they have had a terrible sales record.

If the switch sells another 10m then this poor track record of console sales is history. They’re looking at 1:1 by my reckoning.

 

[the_randomizer]

And if you exclude every other console other than the Wii U, then the N64 is the best selling console of all time.

Nintendo could produce a dozen more 100m sellers and you could still argue that other than their “flukes” they have had a terrible sales record.

If the switch sells another 10m then this poor track record of console sales is history. They’re looking at 1:1 by my reckoning.

Too bad the N64 only had 297 games in the entire US library, no thanks to the piss poor cartridge format. Had they used CDs, they could have at least tied with PSX.

 

[JamiePashley]

Can we have GameCube virtual console now please?

 

[the_randomizer]

Can we have GameCube virtual console now please?

Gamecube, which is PPC, running on ARM, not easy to emulate at all, it would require actual conceited effort to optimize an emulator. You know Nintendo isn't going to put forth that effort, right?

 

[Subtle Demise]

And if you exclude every other console other than the Wii U, then the N64 is the best selling console of all time.

Nintendo could produce a dozen more 100m sellers and you could still argue that other than their “flukes” they have had a terrible sales record.

If the switch sells another 10m then this poor track record of console sales is history. They’re looking at 1:1 by my reckoning.

Look at the chart, the Wii and DS are flukes. The NES/Famicom is third and it's a distant third.

Japan is a mobile oriented country, well Asia is very mobile oriented, of course it's gonna sell like crazy vs a console. TBH, I'm not even a big fan of the NES/Famicom.

I'm not either. My first Nintendo system was the SNES. Didn't get into the NES until my teens. A lot of the library is licensed shovelware. Now, most of the first-party games are good and there the classics from Capcom and Konami, but people only remember those ones and forget that shit that LJN was making. Nintendo's standards really only made sure the games were playable. They didn't necessarily have to be well designed.

Anyway, yeah, back on topic. I think the Switch will at the very least surpass the NES numbers.

 

[comput3rus3r]

The DS is the second best selling console of all time.

I'm still playing it. Currently playing castlevania portrait of ruin

 

[the_randomizer]

Look at the chart, the Wii and DS are flukes. The NES/Famicom is third and it's a distant third.

I'm not either. My first Nintendo system was the SNES. Didn't get into the NES until my teens. A lot of the library is licensed shovelware. Now, most of the first-party games are good and there the classics from Capcom and Konami, but people only remember those ones and forget that shit that LJN was making. Nintendo's standards really only made sure the games were playable. They didn't necessarily have to be well designed.

Anyway, yeah, back on topic. I think the Switch will at the very least surpass the NES numbers.

Especially with Smash Ultimate out in about six weeks, that's gonna move some units for sure.

 

[FAST6191]

Trouble is I actually liked the gamecube library. It was small and some things were a bit of an acquired taste but from where I sit it was definitely a gamer's system.

Switch on the other hand has yet to show me much of anything.

 

[CrossOut]

It is great for Nintendo. It is also not suprising given the many great games the Switch has now and in future. I would love to see more horror games for it though then i might get one.

 

[comput3rus3r]

I'm still waiting for a Super Mario 3d World sequel..

 

[Mollycule]

Probably because nobody knows how to practice contraception anymore.

 

[comput3rus3r]

Probably because nobody knows how to practice contraception anymore.

How random is that? Also I'm against contraception. I was almost not born because of contraception.

 

[Mollycule]

How random is that? Also I'm against contraception. I was almost not born because of contraception.

Safe sex is the word I was after, protects the human race from all kinds of disease!

 

[Taleweaver]

Interesting little fact. I'm just wondering what it means that software-wise, the gamecube still has twice the amount of sales. Is it that indie titles and VC aren't counted, or do more people pirate the fuck of their switch?

EDIT2: nevermind this question. Is pretty obvious that in time, software sales for the switch will go up faster than their hardware base. That not only is an option, but one that's more likely than either of the assumed options.


EDIT:

Safe sex is the word I was after, protects the human race from all kinds of disease!

Erm...no offense, but your explanation makes even less sense than your first post. If there is any connection between safe sex/disease protection and the sale comparison of two game consoles, then I'm really not seeing it.

 

[alainvey]

Look at the chart, the Wii and DS are flukes. The NES/Famicom is third and it's a distant third.

I'm not either. My first Nintendo system was the SNES. Didn't get into the NES until my teens. A lot of the library is licensed shovelware. Now, most of the first-party games are good and there the classics from Capcom and Konami, but people only remember those ones and forget that shit that LJN was making. Nintendo's standards really only made sure the games were playable. They didn't necessarily have to be well designed.

Anyway, yeah, back on topic. I think the Switch will at the very least surpass the NES numbers.

The sample is far too small to call them flukes. The post-n64 era of mainline consoles has consisted of equal parts successes and failures.

If you bring handhelds into it then the whole thing becomes a joke. Nintendo hit more than they miss, and they often hit big.

 

[FAST6191]

The sample is far too small to call them flukes. The post-n64 era of mainline consoles has consisted of equal parts successes and failures.

If you bring handhelds into it then the whole thing becomes a joke. Nintendo hit more than they miss, and they often hit big.

Handheld wise they were assumed the dominant player up until around the time the DS died or phones took off worldwide/in the US (the US was rather behind the times for many years there). Similarly looking at libraries I am going to have to say everything post SNES for the TV consoles was first party CPR for their entire lives, even the Wii was... rather dry for the last 4 years or so.

I have taken to phrasing it something along the lines of I want systems to be representative of games of their time*, and for that then the gamecube was the last thing that came close.

*though I suppose looking at the PS4bone libraries then generally mediocre and unmemorable means the Switch is competing.

 

[eriol33]

So switch is probably going to top Wii at this rate?

I bought a Wii in 2015 so that I can play GameCube. I think it's one of the best Nintendo console ever despite the amount of the shovelware.