Nintendo strikes gold with the Switch
After the failure that was the Wii U, Nintendo found tremendous success again with the Switch. According to the company’s most recent financial report, 3.83 million more units of the Switch were shipped during the latest quarter that ended on September 30, 2021. This brings up the total amount of Switch consoles sold to 92.87 million, solidifying the Switch’s lead over the PlayStation 3. The Switch isn’t done either. As we’ve already mentioned, the console is still in its fourth year in production and Nintendo just launched the Nintendo Switch OLED model. With Nintendo already worried that it won’t have enough units available for the holiday season this year, the next financial report could very well see the Nintendo Switch soar close to 100 million units sold. If this happens, then it will be in striking distance of the Wii and the original PlayStation, which hold lifetime sales of 101.63 million and 102.49 million, respectively. However, Nintendo isn’t one to make bold predictions so fast. The same report suggests that Nintendo has changed its forecast for this financial year, dropping from 25.5 million units to 24 million. It appears that Nintendo didn’t expect the drop-off from last year’s pandemic numbers to be as big as it is. With that said, Nintendo has a winner with the Switch in its hands. The only question now is how much further up the rankings it will go. If we assume that the Switch will go past the Wii and the PS1 in 2022, then its next target is the PS4 with 116 million consoles sold and counting. If the sales numbers of the PS4 stagnate at around 117 million, then the Switch could probably displace it in 2023 or 2024, especially if Nintendo decides to release the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro.
