The Nintendo Switch continues its roaring success, and this year’s Animal Crossing craze has sent it on its way to a record position.
Sales of the Nintendo Switch have finally overtaken those of the Nintendo 3DS, with the former hitting the 79.87 million mark.
Production of the 3D-screened portable console launched in 2011 and only ended in September 2020, while the Switch arrived on the scene in 2017 (and its little brother, the Nintendo Switch Lite, didn’t come along until 2019), so it’s a safe bet that the final figures will be even more flattering to Nintendo’s newest console.
Overall, the Nintendo DS family is easily the Japanese company’s bestselling IP, with a total of 154.2 million units sold (only just behind the Sony PlayStation 2, the all-time record holder).
One of the reasons given for the Switch’s recent success is the launch of titles such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which has proved particularly popular during the grim months of lockdown. The title is on course for a record of its own, having sold 31.18 million units and therefore having almost matched Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the best-ever selling Switch game, which has sold 33.41 million units.
It’s not hard to understand the appeal of either the Nintendo Switch, or its current top-selling game. The gadget takes the form of an ingenious hybrid device, which can be played either on the go or, if you simply detach the Joy-Cons and link the console to a screen, as a home entertainment hub like the PS5 or the Xbox Series X.
Animal Crossing on the other hand has proved a hit thanks to its endearing and endlessly-customisable cutesy setting, which allows players to really let loose with their creativity. It’s just one of the many family-friendly exclusives that sets Nintendo apart from the rest of the video games industry, and with Super Mario 3D World arriving on February 12, we expect that sales will only increase from here.
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