Nintendo is selling a lot of Switches. The convertible console has been a lifesaver for people sheltering in place around the world. COVID-19-induced travel restrictions and the long-awaited arrival of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have proven to be a perfect storm for the three-year-old platform.
New numbers out from NPD this morning shed some light on just how good last month was for Nintendo. Switch sales more than double their numbers from March 2019, per the analyst firm. It was a March record for the console, which launched in March 2017. It was also the best first quarter unit sales for any gaming console since the company’s DS system, way back in 2010.
US NPD HW – Nintendo Switch set a new all-time record for hardware unit sales in a March month, besting the previous high set by Nintendo Switch in its March 2017 launch month.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 21, 2020
The arrival of Animal Crossing: New Horizons was no doubt a bit part of the sales bump. The latest addition to the popular sim series was both the the best selling game on any platform for March and had the third-best -selling launch month of any title in Nintendo’s history since NPD started tracking. Only Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2018 and 2008, respectively) sold more physical units in their first month.
New Horizons is already the best selling title in Animal Crossing’s history, according to the firm. Both the timing of the title and its focus on social gaming play have been a huge boost to the game. It’s also been a hit with critics, currently sporting a 91% on Metacritic.
Stores have struggled to keep Switch units in stock amid a sharp bump in sales. Nintendo is reportedly boosting production of the system up by 10% in order to keep up with demand.
