Nintendo is kicking off 2018 with a victory lap, reporting that the Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling home console in U.S. history. The Switch has sold more than 4.8 million units in 10 months in the United States, breaking the previous record of the Wii, which sold about 4 million units in the same time frame. Nintendo shared the news today in a press release.
“Whether this is a dedicated gamer who doesn’t want to stop playing Mario or Zelda, or whether it’s a child experiencing these franchises for the very first time, we believe the value proposition as well as the compelling content is what’s fueling our momentum,” Reggie Fils-Aimé, president of Nintendo of America, told Fortune.
The Switch’s best-selling games are those Mario and Zelda titles, according to Nintendo’s internal figures. “In the U.S., more than 60 percent of Nintendo Switch owners have Super Mario Odyssey, and over 55 percent own The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” read the press release.
Also, more than half Switch owners purchased Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and over 20% of them have Splatoon 2. In addition to those well-received Nintendo titles, the Switch library is comprised of over 300 third-party games, such as Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Rocket League, DOOM, and Sonic Mania. It also boasts strong support from indie developers, who have brought games like Stardew Valley, SteamWorld Dig 2, and Golf Story to the hybrid console.
Still to come in 2018 are several anticipated and many unannounced Switch titles. Kirby Star Allies, Bayonetta, Bayonetta 2, and the untitled Yoshi game are all known to be coming to the platform this year. Nintendo is rumored to be holding a Direct livestream this month to reveal more games from the Big N itself, as well as third-party developers such as EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Capcom, SEGA, Take 2, and Bethesda.
