The Nintendo Switch became a fan favorite upon its release in 2017, and a new report from the NPD details the incredible impact and influence of the handheld console. Presenting fans with instant classics like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Pokemon Sword and Shield, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, it’s no surprise that the Switch has risen through the ranks to become one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
According to the latest report from NPD Group, the Nintendo Switch has surpassed the PlayStation 4 in lifetime sales. This places the Switch as the fourth best-selling home console in the United States, behind the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.
Nintendo has already been having a ridiculously profitable year. Earlier this week, the company revealed that almost 35 million Pokemon games were sold in the last financial year alone. Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, the highest-selling Nintendo titles of the fiscal year 2022, have become the highest-selling Pokemon remakes ever.
On Wednesday, Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Analysis noted that whatever Nintendo’s next console may be, it won’t be coming for at least another two years. Many believe that the Switch is in the middle of its lifecycle, a belief made more likely by the recent release of the OLED model.
According to Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa, updates to the Nintendo Switch Online service will be coming throughout 2022. Today, it was announced that Kirby 64 would be added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription service next week. The online service has seen a jump in North American subscribers over the last few months.
“By region, the subscription rate is particularly high in the United States. Immediately following the service launch, most people upgraded to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack,” Furukawa noted in a recent interview. “Since the end of the year, we have launched many popular games for the Nintendo 64 as well as launched new DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As a result, we are seeing an increase of new subscribers.”