The eighth-generation console wars have come to an end with the introduction of the PS5 and the Xbox Series S/X. Sony, with the PS4, was the company that managed to sell the most products. Although the Xbox side did not meet expectations, the real surprise came from Nintendo. The Switch, introduced in 2017, exceeded everyone’s expectations and has become the popular handheld console that has outsold the PS4. Here are the details…
The Nintendo Switch has outsold the PS4, but Nintendo sees tougher times ahead
According to the latest reports, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 122.5 million units as of the end of 2022, surpassing both the legendary Game Boy and Sony’s PlayStation 4 to become the third best-selling gaming console of all time. However, looking at the last nine months of 2022, we see that sales have dropped to 14.91 million from 18.95 million during the same period the previous year. Additionally, total revenue has declined by 5.6%.
There are two basic reasons for this. Firstly, game sales fell by 4% despite the release of the new Pokemon Scarlet/Violet titles (which totaled an impressive 20.61 million units), unable to offset the decline. The second reason is the inability to supply enough products in the market due to the global chip crisis. Although the number of products has increased with the disappearance of the pandemic from our lives, this time demand has decreased.
Although the company has lowered its expectations for next year, exclusive games could change that. Titles like Zelda, which has a massive fanbase, can drive much higher console sales on its own. Another highlight in the company’s report is the preference of users. While sales of the Nintendo Switch with an OLED screen increased, there was a decrease in sales of the standard and lite models. This indicates that users want better and more powerful hardware.
It’s worth remembering that the Nintendo Switch just surpassing the PlayStation 4 in sales does not mean it is taking the lead in the eighth-generation console wars. Sony and Microsoft have prioritized the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, while Nintendo has not yet shown a new console that it is working on and continues to sell the device, which was released in 2017, with minor improvements. For this reason, it is possible to say that the PS4, which has sold approximately 120 million units, is still the winner!
Nintendo said last year that the transition to its next console is “a major focus for us,” and it could start becoming more urgent soon. It’ll be interesting to see if the Switch can hang around long enough to become the best selling console of all time, but Nintendo will have to sell around 33 million more units to surpass the PlayStation 2.
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