Nintendo Switch's North American Sales Have Surpassed the Wii U's Global Lifetime Sales

Nintendo Switch's North American Sales Have Surpassed the Wii U's Global Lifetime Sales

The Switch has solidly outsold its console predecessor.

News by Eric Van Allen, News Editor

Updated on 17 October 2019

If there was any question as to whether the Nintendo Switch is doing well, some new sales numbers can provide the answer. Nintendo of America announced today that the Nintendo Switch has surpassed 15 million units sold in North America since March 2017, with 14 Switch games selling over one million units.

Up to September, Nintendo says Switch sales in North America have been up more than 20% year to date and has routinely topped the NPD Group's sales reports throughout the year in hardware sales. These numbers include both the base Nintendo Switch and the Switch Lite combined.

On the games side, four games have sold over six million units on the Nintendo Switch: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Both Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. set records for their series, selling faster than any previous entry.

The Switch has had a pretty strong year, with Fire Emblem: Three Houses also setting series records and multiple Switch games dominating the NPD charts in August. Considering the launch of a new hardware model and several big exclusives this year, that might not be surprising. But compared to the rough life of the Wii U before it, the Switch has been a success for Nintendo on the console front.

If you're deciding on whether or not to pick up a Switch Lite, maybe check out Mike's impression of the new hardware revision for the Switch. It passes the pocket test!

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More about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Eric Van Allen

News Editor

Eric is a writer and Texan. He's a former contributor to sites including Compete, Polygon, Waypoint, and the Washington Post. He loves competitive games, live music, and travel.

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