There's no denying that the Nintendo Switch console is one of the most popular systems to come out in recent years. It was only last week that the company celebrated MAR10 Day by offering Mario games at discounted prices, so it's hardly surprising that the hardware continues to rise in popularity. On top of that, recent data has emerged saying that it's now Nintendo's second-best selling console after the Wii.
Surpassing sales of the immensely successful Nintendo DS, figures from the NPD Group say that the Switch is not only second in terms of Nintendo's products, but is the seventh best-selling console in the United States "in tracked history" in terms of US dollars. No figures were provided, unfortunately. However, Mat Piscatella, Executive Director and Video Game Industry Advisor for NPD, posted on Twitter recently showing that consumer spending in the US has reached record highs compared to last year's results.
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Despite not yet beating its predecessor, Nintendo itself has said the Switch could outdo sales of the Wii after the hybrid system sold more than 80 million units earlier this year. As well as being the second best-selling Nintendo console, Mat also says the Switch is the best-selling hardware of any platform as of February this year. His tweet shows figures for video game spending in the US, with a 35% increase, which is around $4.6 billion, over last February.
The NPD Group is a market research firm which measures consumer spending across a breadth of industries, including video games. Last month, the group reported that sales of gaming accessories had set a new record, in fact video game spending has been increasing over the past ten years despite sales falling last year before the launch of the current gen systems. On top of that, sales of Nintendo's games have also increased, topping charts in places like the UK.
While there's no official word as to why sales are increasing exponentially, many will suspect the Covid pandemic, which has been ravaging the planet for more than a year now, could be the reason for it as billions have been confined to their homes, many with a lot more time on their hands thanks to furlough schemes. As the world recovers from the virus, it's hardly surprising that consoles like the Switch, as well as the recent release of the hugely successful Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, are selling in droves as many wait to return to some semblance of normalcy later this year.