[UK] Nintendo Switch: 80 000 units sold at launch, Zelda: Breath of the Wild best-selling launch title
The Nintendo Switch was finally released last Friday worldwide, and we’re finally getting the first sales data. According to GamesIndustry.biz, Nintendo’s new console sold about 80 000 units at launch in the United Kingdom. As comparison, the Wii U sold 40 000 units at launch, which shows that the Nintendo Switch is already off to a much better start than its predecessor.
Unfortunately, it’s not quite as good as the Nintendo 3DS, which sold about 113 000 units at launch. That being said, its sales may have been stronger, they also dropped sharply in the weeks that followed (due to the lack of significant new releases). Will the Nintendo Switch follow a similar sales trajectory? We will see in the upcoming weeks (though unfortunately, we will not get sales data for those).
Also, the Nintendo Switch didn’t do nearly as well as its competitors at launch:
- PlayStation 4: 250 000 units
- Xbox One: 150 000 units
But the good news is, retailers were apparently pretty happy with the Switch’s launch, and there were even shortages at major retailers. While those were nowhere near as bad as for the Nintendo Classic Mini: Nintendo Entertainement System, it would be better for Nintendo if they managed to get the situation under control as soon as possible.
But something the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U showed us is that a steady stream of releases is pretty much required for sales not to drop off a cliff in the weeks following launch. And unfortunately, there isn’t any new retail game before LEGO City Undercover on April 7th…
Speaking of games, how did the titles from the launch line-up fare? To the surprise of no one, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the best-seller (with 78% of players picking it on Nintendo Switch, and 22% on Wii U). According to GFK Chart-Track, the Nintendo Switch version saw the third best debut for the Zelda series in the United Kingdom, after The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
As for 1-2-Switch, it was the second best-selling game, and landed at #4 of the All-Format chart. Super Bomberman R was #7, and Just Dance 2017 made a comeback at #27 thanks to the Nintendo Switch version.
Unfortunately, no other Nintendo Switch game released at retail made it to the Top 40.
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
