Nintendo Switch Sales Dominate US Console Market

Nintendo experienced another exceptionally strong month for hardware revenue, according to the most recent data released by NPD. The organization reports that Switch sales—encompassing both the standard and Lite versions—reached 735,000 units across the United States. This represents the highest October sales figure for a Nintendo gaming system since the Wii achieved 807,000 units sold in October 2008.

The Switch has consistently performed well over the past two years, achieving a remarkable 23 consecutive months as the top-selling console within the U.S. market. Nintendo’s internal reports further indicate that the company has distributed over 63 million units globally to this point. The year 2020 has proven especially successful for Nintendo, benefiting from both increased time spent at home due to the pandemic and the popularity of leading games such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which demonstrated exceptional sales performance.

Notably, many loyal customers of Microsoft and Sony likely delayed purchasing new consoles in anticipation of the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 launches scheduled for the following month. According to NPD, Nintendo successfully countered the sales decreases of its competitors during this period. While Nintendo’s leading position in console sales may face challenges in November, even with the Black Friday promotions and Switch bundles available, a shift in market dominance remains a possibility.

FIFA 21 emerged as the best-selling game of the month—marking the first time a title from the soccer series has debuted at the number one position in U.S. sales charts. Nintendo’s Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, a unique hybrid game, secured the fifth overall spot as the company’s top-performing title. Furthermore, Nintendo products occupied nine of the top 20 positions in the sales rankings for the month.