The Nintendo Switch Has Now Shipped 994 Million Games Since 2017

One of the biggest success stories of the eighth generation of gaming was the Nintendo Switch. After the disappointing performance of WiiU, the handheld console returned Nintendo to the top and broke several records. Now, it turns out the console and its games have reached more milestones according to the recent Nintendo Quarter 4 report.

Following this quarter, the Nintendo Switch has sold 994 million units of software worldwide since its release. This quarter, the Switch shipped a further 76 million games, further adding to this number. Hence, the system has sold almost 1 billion games in under 6 years, which is a remarkable achievement.

76.71m Switch games were shipped this quarter.
The family of system shipped a total of 994.3m units of software.
The software forecast has been revised down from 210m units to 205m for the fiscal year (172.12m so far). pic.twitter.com/fhA2p2B8qG

— Pierre485 (@pierre485_) February 7, 2023

Since the Nintendo Switch came out in 2017, it has ruled the global console market. It has kept outselling its competitors, releasing brilliant games, and is still going strong almost 6 years after release. From the US to France, it has broken records everywhere and has become a comeback story for Nintendo.

The insane sales performance of the console is one of the reasons there has been no sequel to the console. Even though rumors are circulating that production has started, Nintendo Switch is still selling well. Due to this very reason, Nintendo increased production of the console recently.

Seeing how the console is dominating major markets like UK and Japan, you really can’t blame them. But, the aspect which has driven the sales of the console so many years after its release is the game lineup. Nintendo has launched dozens of first-party games to support the Nintendo Switch over the years.

And, if the recent success of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is any indicator, this strategy has worked wonders. In the recent Quarter 4 report for FY2022, Nintendo updates the total number of games the console has sold. The number is truly staggering and puts the success of the Nintendo Switch into perspective.

Over the last 5-plus years, the handheld console has shipped 994.3 million games worldwide. Nintendo Switch sold a further 76.61 million games this quarter. Even though the overall sales forecast for software did get a decreased revision, this is still the 2nd best quarter the console has had for game sales.

A few notable games contributed heavily to this number and have brought it closer to the 1 billion mark. Pokémon Sword and Shield have sold 25.68 million units and added 310k more units this quarter. It remains the second-best selling Pokémon game of all time.

On the other hand, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet shipped 20.61 million copies in under 2 months. The game is already near Sword/Shield and will probably cross it next year. Furthermore, this is the biggest debut ever in Nintendo’s history.

Super Mario Odyssey has also crossed 25 million lifetimes sales, it sold a further 720k units this quarter. It is still the best-selling 3D Mario game, extending its record. On the other hand, Mario Party Superstars is now at 9.38 million units after selling 1.3 million copies this quarter.

After this, it has become the 2nd-best-selling game in the series. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is another game from a famous IP that extended its best-selling game record. It shipped 850k units this quarter, making its lifetime sales on the Nintendo Switch 6.12 million.

Nintendo Switch Sports sold a staggering 2.46 million last quarter. That sum brings its total to a competent 8.61 million units. Another compilation title reached a landmark, with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate surpassing 30 million sales. 

The popular fighting game sold 910k units this time around, over 4 years after release. Many other Nintendo Switch games sold over a million copies this quarter. One of them was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which sold 1.21 million copies in Q4.

Overall, it has now sold 29 million copies, extending its record as the best-selling game in the series. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe was another game above the million sales mark, selling 3.59 million copies this quarter. The racing game has now sold a stunning 52 million copies, becoming the 2nd Nintendo game to sell over 50 million.

With a bit of time, Animal Crossing: New Horizons may also join this group as it also sold 1.42 million copies this quarter. It has now sold 41.59 million software units in just 3 years. Last but not least, Splatoon 3 also contributed 2.23 million copies in Quarter 4.

As a result, the game has sold 10.13 million copies in a few months. Besides these games, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Bayonetta 3, Pokémon Legends Arceus, Super Mario Party 3, and Luigis Mansion 3 are just some titles that contributed heavily to this 994 million number. With new major first-party releases released this year, this number will only increase.