Four years since the Nintendo Switch’s release on March 3, 2017, the console continues to enjoy enduring popularity and high sales numbers.
The Switch is different from every console Nintendo has released before. It gave up the double-screen and touch-screen features of the DS to focus on one large screen with two detachable Joy-Cons. The Switch can be used both as a home console on a TV screen, as well as a device to game on the go.
Nearly three million units were sold in its first month, and the hype didn’t die out over the years. In 2020, it was still the best-selling console, although it might lose its first place to next-gen consoles this year. In December 2020, it had sold over 79.87 million units, according to Nintendo’s latest financial report.
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It also overtook Nintendo 3DS sales last month after a surge of sales during the holidays, selling over 11 million copies during that period. Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time, however, remains the Wii with 101.63 million units sold. But the Switch is getting closer to that record every month, and it could surpass it during the year.
The most popular games of the console remain Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons with over 30 million units sold each. AC:NH also boosted the sales of the console with players even buying another Switch to build a second island since it’s limited to only one per console.
Last year, when the Nintendo Switch turned three, it had sold 52 million units. Nintendo has yet to announce plans to celebrate the console’s fourth-year anniversary.
Meanwhile, the Winter sale will be ongoing until March 7 on the Nintendo eShop. March will feature several highly anticipated game releases, such as Crash Bandicoot 4, Sea of Solitude: Director’s Cut, Apex Legends, and Monster Hunter Rise.
