Despite seeing the launch of The Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the best selling console of November 2020 was actually the Nintendo Switch in the United States (via GamesIndustry.biz).
This means the Switch has been the best-selling console in the US for 24 consecutive months, according to a Nintendo press release sharing NPD Group data.
In November, the Switch and the Switch Lite sold a combined 1.35 million units in the US – a period that includes the Black Friday weekend. This almost doubles the console’s sales last month, when the Switch the second-best October sales of any console ever in the US, selling 735,000 units – beaten only by the Wii in October 2008, with 807,000 sales,
The Switch’s lifetime sales now sit at 68.3 million, and Nintendo expects to sell 24 million units in the fiscal year ending March 2021.
Regarding the console’s exceptional sales, NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella likened the Switch’s success to Nintendo’s previous smash-hit success, the Wii.
The Switch numbers are absolutely bonkers. We’re talking Wii peak numbers here, with little risk of falling off a cliff like Wii did. It’s a monster of a platform.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) November 13, 2020
This news will go some way to validate Piscatella’s previous claims, who back in October predicted that the Switch would outperform the next-gen consoles this Christmas. Which, given that both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S are now both sold out everywhere, seems likely.
Of course, the Switch’s sales have been helped by the fact that the consoles are actually available. The PS5 and the Xbox Series X|S immediately sold out at launch, and stock has been limited ever since – Some retailers have warned that additional stock is unlikely until next year.
