It’s hard to get away from the online gushing of Nintendo Switch and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild fans these days. And all that positivity is translating into strong Nintendo Switch sales for this launch period.
According to Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aimé, the new console’s two-day sales have been better than any other Nintendo console, ever. Well, specifically in the US anyway.
The info comes via a series of tweets posted by New York Times reporter Nick Wingfield, who revealed the seriously impressive Switch stats:
“Long-term comparisons to Wii, which sold more than 100 m LTD, are tough. But good start for Switch, with big games coming,” he added in another tweet.
Wingfield goes on to highlight the importance of Switch’s success over the Wii. The Wii launched in the prime holiday sales season, which would help boost its sales. The Switch, on the other hand, has arrived in March.
Nintendo never actually revealed the two-day sales figures for the Wii, either in the US or elsewhere, but said the console sold over 600,000 units in eight days in the US alone.
Over in Nintendo’s homeland Japan, the Nintendo Switch sales figures are looking equalling promising, even if they can’t quite beat the Wii or PS4 just yet. Again, it’s important to remember that both the Wii and the PS4 launched in November, just in time for Christmas sales.
Switch Japan 1st week sales 313,700
Wii U: 308,600
Wii: 371,900
PS4: 322,100Note: Switch launch outside Xmas season
Source: Nomura/Famitsu— Yuji Nakamura (@ynakamura56) March 7, 2017
Game sales ‘Linked’ to console success
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has also done incredibly well, beating Super Mario 64 to become the best-selling standalone launch title in Nintendo’s entire history. Both Super Mario 64 and Zelda: Breath of the Wild were the only core launch titles for their respective consoles, meaning they’ve helped bolster the impressive hardware sales.
The Nintendo Switch launched on March 3 priced at $299.99/£279.99 with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as its main launch title. It’s been backed up by the re-release of third-party games and Super Bomberman R along with some smaller Nintendo titles like Snipperclips.