Only PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS did better. With more than 122 million copies sold, Switch becomes the third best-selling game console in history, says Polygon. The figures were released by the Japanese manufacturer during the presentation of the financial results of its third fiscal quarter.
Released in March 2017, Nintendo’s hybrid concept – both playable on a home console and a handheld console – will begin its seventh year of existence next month. A longevity that has allowed it to surpass Sony’s PlayStation 4 (117 million copies) but also its predecessor and benchmark in portable video games: the Game Boy (118 million copies).
PlayStation 2 spikes up front
Now on the podium, the Nintendo Switch may have trouble catching up with its latest competitors. The Nintendo DS, the latest portable console concept from the Japanese manufacturer, has sold 154 million units. For its part, the PlayStation 2 culminates at the top of the ranking thanks to its 155 million copies sold.
However, the Japanese group has revised downward its sales expectations for its entire financial year, which will close at the end of March. The company now expects to sell 18 million Nintendo Switches versus initial estimates of 19 million.
Also, Nintendo Switch sales seem to be leveling off for over a year now, they have fallen 21%. To explain these poor results, the manufacturer highlights “a shortage of semiconductors and other components that affected production until the end of summer.” However, its competitor Sony recently indicated that the shortage was long overdue, and welcomed the prospect of restocking the shelves with the PlayStation 5.
In France alone, 7 million Switches have been sold. Thus, more than one in ten Frenchmen is already equipped. The console should now face an increasingly saturated market.
Expected game releases
Above all, Nintendo Switch seems to be coming to an end. “We believe there is little room for growth in the latest generation of consoles,” strategist Amir Anvarzadeh commented in an Asymmetric Advisors note, adding that “the Switch is in dire need of an upgrade, at least to its graphics processor.”
However, exclusive game releases should continue to carry the console, at least this year. Apart from the titles Fire Emblem Engagepublished in January, or Bayonetta OriginsDue out in March, eyes are turning more towards the next Zelda.
Scheduled for release on May 12, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom should mark the year of the video game. This is the direct sequel to the previous episode. breath of the wild, which sold 29 million units. Like its predecessor, the new work of one of Nintendo’s flagship licenses promises to boost sales of games, but also of consoles.
Source: BFM TV
