Nintendo Switch surpasses the GameCube’s lifetime sales in just a year and a half

While Nintendo doesn’t market its hybrid Switch console as a true competitor to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, its sales certainly have stood toe to toe. It took just 10 months for the Switch to surpass the lifetime sales of its predecessor, the Wii U, and now its popularity has seen it outsell 2001’s GameCube.

Considered a commercial failure, it didn’t take long to surpass the Wii U’s meagre 13.56 million sales, with the Switch setting its sights on the GameCube’s 21.74m shortly after. Nintendo is enjoying the continued popularity of the console, marking a 3.7 percent increase year-on-year with another 5.07m sales in the six months ending 30th September 2018.

The next milestone would be surpassing the Nintendo 64, which holds a lifetime total of 32.93m units sold. Beyond that, is the SNES with 49.10m and NES with 61.91m sales, before hitting Nintendo’s home console king, the Wii with an incredible 101.63m units flogged throughout its lifetime.

Being a hybrid portable console, the Switch is also stacked up against Nintendo’s handheld offerings which provide much more of a challenge in sales feats. The 3DS sold 73.53m, followed by the Game Boy Advance with a respectable 81.53m units. The original Game Boy is up next with 118.69m units before reaching Nintendo’s top handheld, and top overall console, the DS with 154.02m.

Nintendo has multiple first-party games on the way which will undoubtedly bolster sales of the Switch further. Pokémon: Let's Go! Pikachu / Let's Go! Eevee launches in November, before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate closes out the year in December. With more Pokémon, Fire Emblem, Metroid, Luigi’s Mansion, Bayonetta and Yoshi on the way, things likely aren’t slowing down any time soon.

KitGuru Says: The Switch has already put on an impressive display and it will be interesting to see how the new games affect sales.  Do you already own a Switch? Are you waiting for any game in particular?

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