The Nintendo Switch just had its best weekend ever. Here’s why
The Nintendo Switch just had its best week of sales yet in the United States.
The Switch and the Switch Lite video game consoles sold more than 830,000 copies over Thanksgiving weekend and Monday, which was the best Cyber Monday yet for the Nintendo Switch, according to the company.
Nintendo’s video game console is poised to be the bestselling hardware platform in the United States this year, according to NPD Group industry analyst Mat Piscatella told CNN Business. It will probably be the only platform that will sell more consoles than in 2018, he said.
The Switch has been so successful this year because of its exclusive franchises, such as “Super Mario” and its related series,”Super Smash Bros.’ The Switch can also be hand-held or plugged into a TV, and its uniqueness lets gamers feel like they can own a Switch and an Xbox or PlayStation: It’s “more a complementary purchase to other gaming systems, not strictly a substitute,” said Piscatella.
Black Friday deals and the new, less-expensive Switch Lite helped drive sales, Nintendo said in a press release. The Switch Lite launched in September, while the original Switch debuted in March 2017. Total sales have hit 17.5 million units in the Americas.
Retailing for $199.99, the Nintendo Switch Lite is $100 cheaper than the original. It doesn’t connect to a television for playing on a bigger screen, and the controllers on the sides don’t detach. It also lacks a kickstand, so it can’t sit upright on any surfaces while you play.
Nintendo also provided updated sales figures for its recently released “Pokémon Sword” and “Shield” games, which together have sold more than 3 million copies in the Americas since their November 15 launch. Other classic titles continue to sell well; “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” which debuted in April 2017, has reached hit 8.5 million in total sales, while last December’s “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” is now at 8 million.
