The Nintendo Switch has become the best-selling console for 22 consecutive months, with one analyst claiming it will be the best-selling console of Holiday 2020.
Bloomberg cites market researchers the NPD group in their report. The previous record holder was the Xbox 360, which reportedly held the record for 21 months from 2011 to 2013. Bloomberg also state the record was further confirmed via Mat Pistcatella, a video game industry Analyst for The NPD Group.
A tweet by Twitter user ManueI_Tolu elicited a response from Piscatella. Manuel tweeted the same information as a above; adding the record began for the Nintendo Switch since December 2018, and the the Xbox 360 held the record from August 2011 to April 2013. Piscatella tweeted “Neat. Guess I shoulda caught this,” in response to the news.
When asked by another user if the streak would continue in November (during which the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will launch), Piscatella tweeted “Probably, but it all depends on how many units of the next gen boxes will be available. And that I don’t know.”
“Nintendo Switch came *this close* to setting a new September hardware sales record in the US, after it actually did set a new August record,” Piscatella later tweeted. “Switch is selling at or above levels never seen before in the US, and few are talking about it. I get it, next gen and all, but still.”
In a series of predictions on NPD’s website, Piscatella claimed that the Nintendo Switch “will be the best-selling console of holiday 2020,” in spite of the next-generation consoles’ launches.
“Switch will also be a hot holiday gifting item with more households picking up multiple Switch consoles in the fourth quarter. The lack of available inventory of new PlayStations and Xbox systems will leave Switch as an appealing available option (although supply may still be difficult to find).”
Even so, Piscatella states earlier in the same list that PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X sales will “sizzle” this Holiday, and “among the hottest” gifts. “Units will be tough to find with continued strong demand into 2021.”
Launched March 3rd, 2017, the Nintendo Switch became the fastest selling console in US history 10 months later. Over the past year, worldwide sales have ballooned. From 32.27 million (February 2019), to 34.77 million (April 2019), 36.87 million (July 2019), 41.67 million (October 2019), 52.48 million (January 2020), to 55.77 million (May 2020). It also sold over 15 million units in Japan as of September.
Image: Nintendo
