Pre-release

Market analysts had a mixed response to the October 2016 announcement of the Nintendo Switch.^[42]^[43] Some expressed concern that the Switch failed to address the issues that led to poor Wii U sales, and was aimed at a small audience.^[42] Others were more upbeat, believing the Switch approach would fit in well in the Japanese market, where space for dedicated consoles and televisions are limited, and transition into Western ones.^[20]^[356] Taylor also approved of the company's decision to introduce the console prior to the holiday season, when Microsoft and Sony would attempt to attract casual gamers to their consoles.^[20]^[357]

Following the January 2017 press conference revealing the unit's pricing and release date, journalists expressed concern at the apparently high system price, comparable to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles but lacking some of their capabilities, the cost of the paid-for Nintendo Switch Online service, and the small number of games that were confirmed for launch.^[48]^[358]^[359]^[360] However, other analysts found that the pricing factors indicated the Switch was a more robust console, and would likely sell better than the Wii U, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild being a key sales driver.^[358] These analysts also figured the Switch fills an appropriate gap in hardware for those seeking more complex gameplay that is not offered in tablet and mobile gaming but who did not need to purchase a powerful "boxy" console.^[361] Most analysts agreed that the success of the Switch depends on Nintendo's support and avoiding mistakes the company had made in marketing and promoting the Wii U.^[361]

Nintendo investors showed wariness at the Switch, as its stock price dropped in the months from the system's announcement up until its release. Analysts believed investors felt the Switch was very risky and were unsure if the unit would draw new audiences to Nintendo.^[362]^[42]^[363]^[364]^[365] Analysis firms estimated the Switch would have a slow start due to the risk of the system and high price, but could still clear up to 40 million units by 2020.^[366]^[367]

Game and hardware developers were more positive towards the Switch, seeing the system as "a more unifying experience between their handheld and console divisions", but expressed concern on unanswered hardware specifications, and how Nintendo would market the unit to draw in developers.^[368]^[369]^[370]^[371] Developer Hideo Kojima compared the notion of the Switch to his idea of "transfarring" that he presented in 2011, allowing players to take a game from a home platform to a portable one, which became the basis of Sony's cross-buy program. He said that the Switch was "an extension of that idea. The fact you can play something at home and take it outside, this is the gamer's dream. The Switch is an evolution of that."^[372] Bethesda's Todd Howard stated, "I think Nintendo is the only company that could pull something like this off," commenting on the Nintendo Switch's design and functionality.^[373] Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's Xbox division, said he was impressed with Nintendo's ability to "state a bold vision and build a product that delivers on that vision".^[374]

Retailers were also generally positive with the Switch; GameStop CEO Paul Reines stated the unit was transformative in the market and would be a "game-changer" that could "expand the audience for gaming".^[375] Pre-orders were high, with Kimishima stating before launch that total pre-orders reached nearly the levels of units they had ready to ship for launch.^[25]^[376]^[377]

The October 2016 reveal trailer became Nintendo of America's most-viewed video on YouTube within 24 hours, and was the top trending video on YouTube for about a day.^[378]

Release

Upon release, the Switch was praised by reviewers for having a lot of potential, but they were underwhelmed by the limited number of titles available at launch that did not show the full extent of the console's abilities. Reviewers also noted that the initial operating software and features were limited and included software bugs that, while likely to be fixed in time, marred the experience of the system.^[379] Even with the day-one update, there were numerous reports of hardware problems, in particular the Bluetooth connectivity of the Switch console with the Joy-Con (L) controller, and ease with which the console screen could be scratched.^[380] About a week after release, Fils-Aimé said the company is in "fact-finding mode" to try to diagnose these issues.^[381] In late March, Nintendo reported that the Joy-Con (L) desync issue was a "manufacturing variation" on a small number of the units, which could be easily fixed; as noted by CNET's Sean Hollister, Nintendo repaired affected controllers by placing a bit of conductive foam near the antenna within the unit to better shield it. Going forward, Nintendo said they do not anticipate any other problems with connectivity issues.^[382]^[383] Many users also reported issues with defective pixels on the LCD screen of the console, which Nintendo has stated "are normal and should not be considered a defect".^[384] Other companies in the video game industry such as Sony, Microsoft, Sega, Bethesda, Ubisoft and Unity Technologies congratulated Nintendo on the Switch, along with fast food companies such as Arby's and Domino's Pizza, which made a practice of posting game-inspired artworks on social media.^[385]

About six months after release, Nintendo reported their usage statistics for the Switch. Using statistics collected by the system for the primary player on the console, they found that 30% of users operate the console in Handheld/Tabletop mode more than 80% of the time, slightly more than 50% of users operate the console in both TV mode and Handheld/Tabletop mode equally, with the remaining users preferring TV mode. Nintendo stated, "We can clearly see that consumers are playing to suit their own play styles."^[386] Nintendo also found that the majority of people who purchased the Switch in the United States are male consumers in their 20s and early 30s.^[387]

Following the implementation of firmware version 5.0.0, several Switch users began reporting that their consoles became unusable after having been docked within a third-party "portable" dock manufactured by Nyko. Nyko commented on the issue, stating that they were aware of the issue and thought it to be caused by the Switch's handling of A/V output, while Nintendo advised users against docking their systems inside unlicensed docking peripherals. After purchasing the dock at a Walmart store in Jacksonville, Florida, and losing usability of his console upon using the dock, Switch owner Michael Skiathitis filed a class action lawsuit against Nyko, alleging the dock to be "prone to causing numerous problems to the devices they are intended to support" against the knowledge of purchasers, as well as noting that Nyko had not put much effort into warning consumers about the issue. Other Switch owners reported having their consoles bricked upon using various other third-party docks, including models made by FastSnail and Insignia.^[388]

The Verge rated the Nintendo Switch Lite 8 out of 10 points, praising its improved battery life over the standard Nintendo Switch, as well as the design and the D-pad, but criticizing the lack of a TV mode and the fact that some games are not compatible with the base model alone.^[389] PC Magazine criticized the components used in the Switch Lite for their quality because just like the Joy-Con of the original Nintendo Switch, the analog sticks of the console are also susceptible to drifting.^[390] "Today's generation is focused more on hand-held devices and any app that is on their television screen," said game developer Tyrone Evans Clark who was being interviewed by Lifewire.^[391] Jon Porter of TechRadar wrote, "The Switch is a significantly different device from what we've seen prior, and the handheld nature of the console provides the best of both worlds."^[392] In 2021, PCMag wrote, "As a handheld game system, the Switch feels large but comfortable. It's thicker than a tablet but much thinner than the Wii U gamepad, and far more natural to hold. It's 9.4 inches wide with both Joy-Cons attached, making it too cumbersome to easily put in a pocket, but it can fit in most bags without a problem. I bring my Switch with me to work every day on the subway. It fits comfortably in my bag when I'm not playing it, and doesn't feel overwhelmingly bulky when I play it while standing."^[393] In 2024, Richard Priday of Tom's Guide wrote, "Even though the Nintendo Switch is now several years old, it's still just as popular as its newer, more powerful rivals. With some of the best game franchises as exclusives and some unique hardware, it's a console you can't ignore."^[394]

Sales

Initial launch

Initial sales of the Switch were strong, with Nintendo reporting that based on its first week's numbers, it was the company's fastest-selling console.^[395]^[396] In Japan, first weekend sales exceeded 330,000 units, which was on par with the PlayStation 4 during its launch period.^[397]^[398] Sales during this initial period were strong in the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany.^[399] Media Create estimated that more than 500,000 Switch units were sold in Japan within its first month, beating out the PlayStation 4 to this figure.^[400]^[401]^[402]^[403]^[404]

Nintendo issued the Switch's first month's performance in their 2016 fiscal year results (which ended March 31, 2017), reporting that more than 2.74 million units had been sold worldwide, exceeding their target of two million.^[405]^[406] Retailer GameStop reported that initial sales of the Switch were "phenomenal" and on track to surpass the Wii U based on their historical sales data, with merchandising director Eric Bright saying the Switch has had "one of the highest attach rates of software and accessories to a device that we've seen in a long time".^[407] Retailer GameStop reported significant growth in hardware sales in its first quarter of 2017 due primarily to the Switch,^[408] while Best Buy saw an unexpected increase in their hardware sales in its first quarter of 2017 buoyed by the popularity of the Switch.^[409] Console sales in Japan, which had been languishing due to the strength of the mobile game market, saw its first annual growth of 14.8% in 2017 due to the release of the Switch.^[410] Physical sales for Switch games were at 5.46 million worldwide in its first month, with 2.76 million copies of Breath of the Wild for the Switch making up nearly half of those sales.^[411] On Breath of the Wild's nearly 1-to-1 sales with the Switch console, Nintendo's Kimishima said, "This high of an attach rate is more or less unprecedented".^[412]

The large sales within the first month forced Nintendo to increase their production capacity,^[413] and to temporarily use air freight to ship Switch units instead of their usual overseas shipment, costing an estimated $45 per console, rather than the less-costly overseas shipment.^[414] With these changes, Nintendo projected that it would sell at least 10 million Switch consoles during the 2017 fiscal year, alongside 35 million games.^[405] Kimishima stated that having a Switch user base of 10 million "will give publishers and the rest of our business partners a sense that the future of Nintendo Switch is more promising" and spur further game development for the platform.^[415] Kimishima said that a key goal in their production ramp up would be to make sure they have enough Switch inventory near the end of 2017 for holiday sales, as to avoid the issue with Wii shortages that occurred during its first holiday-season period, while balancing the near-term high demand.^[175] According to Kimishima, Nintendo now believed that if they could reach 10 million in Switch sales in 2017, they expected the Switch would have lifetime sales comparable to the Wii, which had sold over 100 million units in its lifetime.^[415]^[175]

The Switch continued to show strong sales throughout its first year of release. In its financial report released in October 2017 for the quarter ending September 30, 2017, Nintendo reported worldwide sales of the Switch at 7.63 million, with the expectation to sell more than 14 million by the end of its current financial year, exceeding the Wii U's lifetime 13.56 million sales. Five software titles had achieved at least one million in sales by this point: Breath of the Wild (4.7M), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (4.42M), Splatoon 2 (3.61M), 1-2 Switch (1.37M), and Arms (1.35M).^[416] Shortly after this financial report, Nintendo reported that Super Mario Odyssey for the Switch sold more than two million copies within three days of its release on October 27, 2017.^[417] Following this financial report, the Wall Street Journal asserted that Nintendo anticipated to continue ramping production of the Switch in its 2018 fiscal year, with plans to produce between 25 and 30 million units that year or more depending on the 2017 holiday sales.^[359] During the November 2017 Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales that kicked off the holiday shopping season in North America, Adobe Digital Insights' analysis showed the Switch was one of the top-five selling items, outpacing the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. NPD Group adjusted their future performance of the Switch to follow more closely with the Wii's lifetime sales rather than the Wii U's.^[418]

On December 12, 2017, the company announced the system had sold over 10 million units worldwide, having reached its sales goal for the 2017 fiscal year within nine months. Nintendo raised its Switch sales expectation to 14 million units for the fiscal year.^[419] Shortly after this announcement, Kimishima said that Nintendo has a target of 20 million units sold within the console's second year, along with releasing new games that "enables new ways of playing" to continue the sales momentum.^[420]

Based on its first year sales, the Switch was considered to be the fastest-selling game console in history in many regions. With 2017 year end Japanese sales data from Media Create, the Switch became the fastest-selling home console in Japan in first year sales, with its total sales of 3.2 million units exceeding the 3.0 million units of the PlayStation 2 during its first year of release,^[421]^[422] while Famitsu reported that these sales had eclipsed the lifetime sales of the Wii U in the country,^[423] and helped to support the first growth in sales within Japan's console market in eleven years.^[424] Nintendo of America also reported that with 4.8 million units sold in the United States by the end of 2017, 1.5 million units in December 2017 alone, the Switch was the fastest-selling console in the United States in its first 10 months, outpacing the Wii's performance of 4 million units in the same time period.^[425]^[426] Similarly, the Switch was the fastest-selling console in France, having sold 911,000 units through the end of 2017, according to Nintendo France.^[427] The Switch was also the fastest-selling console in Canada, having shipped 400,000 units in its first 10 months, narrowly outpacing the Wii's performance of 392,000 units in the same time period, according to TechVibes.^[428] According to analysis firm GBH Insights, the Nintendo Switch was the fifth-best-selling technology product in 2017.^[429] As of January 2018, the Switch has sold more than 300,000 units in Spain, surpassing the total lifetime sales of one of its competitors, the Xbox One, in the region.^[430] The Switch sold 8.7 million units in the United States in its first 21 months of availability, surpassing the sales of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 during their first 21 months in the same region.^[431] By May 2019, the Switch had overtaken the PS4's lifetime sales in Japan.^[432]

Lifetime units shipped

More information Date, Japan ...

Life-to-date number of units shipped, millions^{[upper-alpha 1]}
Date	Japan		Americas		Europe^{[upper-alpha 2]}		Other^{[upper-alpha 2]}		Total		Attach rate^{[upper-alpha 3]}
Date	Hardware	Software	Hardware	Software	Hardware	Software	Hardware	Software	Hardware	Software	Attach rate^{[upper-alpha 3]}
2017-03-31^[433]	0.60	0.89	1.20	2.86	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	0.94	1.71	2.74	5.46	1.99
2017-06-30^[434]	1.12	2.45	1.95	6.49	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	1.63	4.66	4.70	13.60	2.89
2017-09-30^[435]	1.95	5.26	3.11	12.25	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	2.56	9.97	7.63	27.48	3.60
2017-12-31^[436]	3.72	9.82	5.94	23.65	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	5.20	19.10	14.86	52.57	3.53
2018-03-31^[437]	4.38	13.15	7.14	30.37	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	6.27	25.44	17.79	68.97	3.87
2018-06-30^[438]	4.89	16.10	7.81	38.74	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	6.97	32.09	19.67	86.93	4.41
2018-09-30^[439]	5.52	20.31	9.13	49.97	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	8.20	40.82	22.86	111.10	4.86
2018-12-31^[440]	7.74	30.33	12.94	73.85	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	11.60	59.42	32.27	163.61	5.07
2019-03-31^[441]	8.23	34.64	14.01	84.31	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	N/A^{[upper-alpha 2]}	12.50	68.57	34.74	187.25	5.39
2019-06-30^[442]	8.76	39.05	14.83	94.47	9.60	62.46	3.69	14.15	36.87	210.13	5.69
2019-09-30^[443]	10.00^{[upper-alpha 4]}	44.93	16.64^{[upper-alpha 5]}	110.22	10.86^{[upper-alpha 6]}	74.43	4.17^{[upper-alpha 7]}	16.43	41.67^{[upper-alpha 8]}	246.01	5.90
2019-12-31^[444]	12.42^{[upper-alpha 9]}	57.34	20.87^{[upper-alpha 10]}	138.63	13.88^{[upper-alpha 11]}	94.01	5.32^{[upper-alpha 12]}	20.68	52.48^{[upper-alpha 13]}	310.65	5.92
2020-03-31^[445]	13.44^{[upper-alpha 14]}	67.20	22.12^{[upper-alpha 15]}	158.59	14.43^{[upper-alpha 16]}	105.92	5.78^{[upper-alpha 17]}	24.54	55.77^{[upper-alpha 18]}	356.24	6.38
2020-06-30^[446]	14.59^{[upper-alpha 19]}	77.21	24.41^{[upper-alpha 20]}	180.07	16.04^{[upper-alpha 21]}	120.22	6.70^{[upper-alpha 22]}	29.16	61.44^{[upper-alpha 23]}	406.67	6.62
2020-09-30^[447]	16.17^{[upper-alpha 24]}	84.98	26.58^{[upper-alpha 25]}	204.18	17.73^{[upper-alpha 26]}	134.44	7.81^{[upper-alpha 27]}	32.88	68.30^{[upper-alpha 28]}	456.49	6.68
2020-12-31^[448]	18.88^{[upper-alpha 29]}	98.89	31.17^{[upper-alpha 30]}	238.12	20.70^{[upper-alpha 31]}	158.29	9.11^{[upper-alpha 32]}	37.04	79.87^{[upper-alpha 33]}	532.34	6.67
2021-03-31^[449]	20.04^{[upper-alpha 34]}	112.22	33.27^{[upper-alpha 35]}	261.00	21.58^{[upper-alpha 36]}	172.15	9.71^{[upper-alpha 37]}	41.74	84.59^{[upper-alpha 38]}	587.12	6.94
2021-06-30^[450]	21.20^{[upper-alpha 39]}	120.35	34.86^{[upper-alpha 40]}	283.35	22.66^{[upper-alpha 41]}	183.51	10.33^{[upper-alpha 42]}	45.20	89.04^{[upper-alpha 43]}	632.40	7.10
2021-09-30^[451]	22.06^{[upper-alpha 44]}	128.35	36.31^{[upper-alpha 45]}	306.13	23.60^{[upper-alpha 46]}	197.78	10.89^{[upper-alpha 47]}	48.74	92.87^{[upper-alpha 48]}	681.00	7.33
2021-12-31^[452]	24.36^{[upper-alpha 49]}	143.20	40.12^{[upper-alpha 50]}	345.64	26.98^{[upper-alpha 51]}	223.01	12.09^{[upper-alpha 52]}	54.56	103.54^{[upper-alpha 53]}	766.41	7.40
2022-03-31^[453]	25.23^{[upper-alpha 54]}	154.36	42.03^{[upper-alpha 55]}	369.27	27.60^{[upper-alpha 56]}	237.93	12.79^{[upper-alpha 57]}	60.62	107.65^{[upper-alpha 58]}	822.18	7.63
2022-06-30^[454]	25.95^{[upper-alpha 59]}	162.43	43.30^{[upper-alpha 60]}	386.42	28.70^{[upper-alpha 61]}	249.45	13.13^{[upper-alpha 62]}	65.29	111.08^{[upper-alpha 63]}	863.59	7.77
2022-09-30^[455]	26.96^{[upper-alpha 64]}	175.09	44.59^{[upper-alpha 65]}	407.97	29.29^{[upper-alpha 66]}	266.39	13.49^{[upper-alpha 67]}	69.15	114.33^{[upper-alpha 68]}	917.59	8.02
2022-12-31^[456]	29.05^{[upper-alpha 69]}	192.62	47.66^{[upper-alpha 70]}	437.37	31.71^{[upper-alpha 71]}	289.47	14.15^{[upper-alpha 72]}	74.84	122.55^{[upper-alpha 73]}	994.30	8.11
2023-03-31^[457]	29.59^{[upper-alpha 74]}	200.15	49.00^{[upper-alpha 75]}	456.27	32.58^{[upper-alpha 76]}	300.91	14.44^{[upper-alpha 77]}	78.82	125.62^{[upper-alpha 78]}	1,036.15	8.24
2023-06-30^[458]	30.79^{[upper-alpha 79]}	209.18	50.18^{[upper-alpha 80]}	478.97	33.53^{[upper-alpha 81]}	314.23	15.02^{[upper-alpha 82]}	85.97	129.53^{[upper-alpha 83]}	1,088.35	8.40
2023-09-30^[459]	31.77^{[upper-alpha 84]}	217.52	51.03^{[upper-alpha 85]}	498.39	34.15^{[upper-alpha 86]}	327.88	15.51^{[upper-alpha 87]}	89.43	132.46^{[upper-alpha 88]}	1,133.23	8.55
2023-12-31^[460]	33.34^{[upper-alpha 89]}	232.73	53.85^{[upper-alpha 90]}	524.77	36.15^{[upper-alpha 91]}	348.61	16.03^{[upper-alpha 92]}	93.99	139.36^{[upper-alpha 93]}	1,200.10	8.61
2024-03-31^[461]	34.01^{[upper-alpha 94]}	239.93	54.52^{[upper-alpha 95]}	540.18	36.49^{[upper-alpha 96]}	358.32	16.30^{[upper-alpha 97]}	97.39	141.32^{[upper-alpha 98]}	1,235.82	8.74
2024-06-30^[462]	34.80^{[upper-alpha 99]}	246.76	55.17^{[upper-alpha 100]}	552.99	36.89^{[upper-alpha 101]}	366.93	16.56^{[upper-alpha 102]}	99.79	143.42^{[upper-alpha 103]}	1,266.46	8.83
Numbers are total of Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite, and Nintendo Switch OLED units. See footnotes for quarters from September 2019 onward for partition of sales between the Switch and Switch Lite and footnotes for quarters from December 2021 onward for partition of sales between all units. European sales were counted under "Other" until the quarter ending June 30, 2019. Given as the ratio of total software sales to total hardware sales Nintendo Switch: 9.61 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.39 million Nintendo Switch: 15.84 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.80 million Nintendo Switch: 10.33 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.54 million Nintendo Switch: 3.94 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.22 million Nintendo Switch: 39.72 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.95 million Nintendo Switch: 11.06 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.36 million Nintendo Switch: 18.78 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.09 million Nintendo Switch: 12.60 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.28 million Nintendo Switch: 4.86 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.46 million Nintendo Switch: 47.30 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.19 million Nintendo Switch: 11.44 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.00 million Nintendo Switch: 19.79 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.33 million Nintendo Switch: 13.09 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.34 million Nintendo Switch: 5.25 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.53 million Nintendo Switch: 49.57 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.19 million Nintendo Switch: 12.23 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.36 million Nintendo Switch: 20.50 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.61 million Nintendo Switch: 13.91 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.13 million Nintendo Switch: 5.98 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.72 million Nintendo Switch: 52.63 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 8.82 million Nintendo Switch: 13.37 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.80 million Nintendo Switch: 22.38 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.20 million Nintendo Switch: 15.25 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 2.48 million Nintendo Switch: 6.93 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.88 million Nintendo Switch: 57.93 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 10.36 million Nintendo Switch: 15.46 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.42 million Nintendo Switch: 25.40 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.78 million Nintendo Switch: 17.35 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.36 million Nintendo Switch: 8.14 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 0.97 million Nintendo Switch: 66.34 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 13.53 million Nintendo Switch: 16.22 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.81 million Nintendo Switch: 26.86 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.41 million Nintendo Switch: 18.11 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.47 million Nintendo Switch: 8.70 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.01 million Nintendo Switch: 69.89 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 14.70 million Nintendo Switch: 17.05 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.15 million Nintendo Switch: 27.96 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.90 million Nintendo Switch: 18.93 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.73 million Nintendo Switch: 9.26 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.06 million Nintendo Switch: 73.20 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 15.84 million Nintendo Switch: 17.80 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.26 million Nintendo Switch: 29.01 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 7.30 million Nintendo Switch: 19.74 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 3.86 million Nintendo Switch: 9.79 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.10 million Nintendo Switch: 76.34 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 16.53 million Nintendo Switch: 18.57 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.72 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.07 million Nintendo Switch: 30.96 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 7.74 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.41 million Nintendo Switch: 21.86 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.21 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 0.91 million Nintendo Switch: 10.28 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.19 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 0.61 million Nintendo Switch: 81.68 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 17.87 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.99 million Nintendo Switch: 18.78 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.84 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.61 million Nintendo Switch: 32.08 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 8.01 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.94 million Nintendo Switch: 22.15 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.33 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.12 million Nintendo Switch: 10.44 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.23 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.13 million Nintendo Switch: 83.45 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 18.40 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.80 million Nintendo Switch: 19.01 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.94 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.00 million Nintendo Switch: 32.57 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 8.34 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.40 million Nintendo Switch: 22.68 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.45 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.58 million Nintendo Switch: 10.52 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.27 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.34 million Nintendo Switch: 84.77 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 18.99 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.32 million Nintendo Switch: 19.22 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.99 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.74 million Nintendo Switch: 32.99 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 8.53 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.07 million Nintendo Switch: 22.87 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.51 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.91 million Nintendo Switch: 10.59 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.29 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 1.62 million Nintendo Switch: 85.67 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 19.32 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 9.34 million Nintendo Switch: 19.67 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.29 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.09 million Nintendo Switch: 34.29 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 9.10 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.26 million Nintendo Switch: 23.96 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.67 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.08 million Nintendo Switch: 10.75 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.33 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.06 million Nintendo Switch: 88.67 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 20.40 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 13.49 million Nintendo Switch: 19.73 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.41 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.45 million Nintendo Switch: 34.75 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 9.42 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.82 million Nintendo Switch: 24.26 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.82 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.50 million Nintendo Switch: 10.84 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.36 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.25 million Nintendo Switch: 89.58 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 21.02 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 15.02 million Nintendo Switch: 19.89 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.57 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.33 million Nintendo Switch: 34.91 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 9.58 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.70 million Nintendo Switch: 24.47 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.89 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.16 million Nintendo Switch: 10.96 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.40 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 2.66 million Nintendo Switch: 90.23 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 21.45 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 17.85 million Nintendo Switch: 20.03 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.71 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 6.04 million Nintendo Switch: 35.12 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 9.80 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 6.11 million Nintendo Switch: 24.67 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 4.96 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 4.52 million Nintendo Switch: 11.02 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.45 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.04 million Nintendo Switch: 90.83 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 21.92 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 19.71 million Nintendo Switch: 20.26 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.05 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.03 million Nintendo Switch: 36.22 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 10.46 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.17 million Nintendo Switch: 25.43 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.21 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.51 million Nintendo Switch: 11.08 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.48 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.47 million Nintendo Switch: 92.98 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 23.20 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 23.18 million Nintendo Switch: 20.34 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.17 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.50 million Nintendo Switch: 36.45 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 10.61 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.47 million Nintendo Switch: 25.55 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.25 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.69 million Nintendo Switch: 11.11 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.51 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.68 million Nintendo Switch: 93.45 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 23.54 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 24.34 million Nintendo Switch: 20.45 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 6.30 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 8.05 million Nintendo Switch: 36.69 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 10.73 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 7.75 million Nintendo Switch: 25.69 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 5.32 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 5.89 million Nintendo Switch: 11.13 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 1.53 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 3.90 million Nintendo Switch: 93.97 million, Nintendo Switch Lite: 23.87 million, Nintendo Switch OLED: 25.58 million

Close

As of June 30, 2024^[update], Nintendo has shipped 143.42 million Switch units, with over 93.97 million original Switch units, 23.87 million Switch Lite units, and 25.58 million Switch OLED units.^[462]^[463] It is currently Nintendo's best-selling home video game console of all time.^{[lower-alpha 15]} The Switch has surpassed lifetime sales of all but one Nintendo game console following the Nintendo DS. By this point, it also surpassed sales of all other game consoles, leaving it third behind the DS and the PlayStation 2.^[464]^[465] Since October 2020,^[update] the Switch had been the highest selling console in the United States for 22 consecutive months, starting from December 2018, taking the record from the Xbox 360 which stood for 21 months (August 2011 (2011-08) – April 2013 (2013-05)).^[466] In the United States, the Switch had remained the best-selling console on monthly sales based on NPD Group data for 33 months from November 2018 through August 2021, with the PlayStation 5 breaking its streak in September 2021.^[467]

Nintendo's president, Shuntaro Furukawa, said in the company's Q4 fiscal earnings report, ending December 21, 2019, that about 30% of the sales of the Switch Lite were from existing owners of the full-size Switch console, making the Lite a backup console for them. Furukawa also said that, for those purchasing their first Switch console, there was a higher percentage of female consumers that purchased the Lite compared to the full-size Switch console, and that Nintendo would increase production of the Lite for that market.^[468]

Software sales

As of December 2023^[update], total software sales for the Switch exceeded 1.2 billion.^[460] According to Nintendo of America's Doug Bowser, the Switch has had an attach rate (games purchased per unit) of over 8 over its first four years.^[469] Top sellers for the platform as of June 30, 2024, include:^[470]

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 62.90 million
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 45.85 million
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 34.66 million
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 32.05 million
Super Mario Odyssey – 28.21 million
Pokémon Sword and Shield – 26.35 million
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – 25.29 million
Super Mario Party – 20.84 million
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 20.80 million
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 17.61 million

Financial impact

Nintendo's business performance, which had been struggling for several years, soared upon the release of the Switch. By May 23, 2017, the success of the Switch's launch raised Nintendo's stock price to its highest levels in seven years, and an increase in price of over 100% from the previous year. However, the price still trailed Nintendo's peak price by about half, back in 2007 when it had just released the Wii.^[471] Nintendo's stock was further boosted a few days later to meet its eight-year high following Capcom's announcement of plans to release the popular Monster Hunter XX for the Switch.^[472]

In September 2017, Nintendo announced a partnership with Tencent, the leading publisher for mobile games in China, to bring their title Arena of Valor, the international version of their mainland Chinese game Wangzhe Rongyao, to the Switch following its December 2017 release in Western markets on mobile platforms. At the time, the game had an estimated 200 million players, most in China, and analysts anticipated that Nintendo would be releasing the Switch in China by 2019 as part of this deal. As a result, Nintendo's stock price rose overnight on the news by 7%, reaching a nine-year high.^[473]^[474]^[475] Nintendo's stock reached its ten-year high shortly after the October 2017 expansion of Switch production to 2 million units per month and speculation that Nintendo would likely start selling the unit in China sooner than anticipated.^[476]

Nintendo's quarterly reports, for the period ending September 30, 2017, showed a profit of $209 million, the first profitable quarter in several years, due to both success of the Switch and its mobile gaming strategy.^[31] For similar reasons, its following quarter, ending December 31, 2017, was Nintendo's most profitable quarter since 2009, with year-to-year revenues increased by 177%.^[477]^[478]

Nintendo's quarterly profit jumped by 44% in the first fiscal quarter of 2018 and their net profit totalled $274.9 million during April–June 2018 due to new titles being released for the Switch such as Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.^[479] Sales of the Switch and its games helped increase Nintendo's operating profit by 30% during July–September 2018 and helped Nintendo reach its highest quarterly result in 8 years.^[480] Nintendo's quarterly profit jumped by 25% in the third fiscal quarter of 2018 due to the popularity of games on the Switch and their October–December profit totalled $956 million, while quarterly sales totalled $5.6 billion, which were up by 26%.^[481]

Nintendo's yearly profit jumped by 39% during the April 2018–March 2019 fiscal year, and annual sales rose 14% to $10.7 billion due to "healthy" software sales for the Switch.^[482]