Coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic crisis sweeping the globe, Nintendo Switch has reportedly seen sales more than double in March, according a recent article.
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Across all consoles, total revenue made from hardware increased by 63 per cent year-on-year in March, with a total of $461 million, according to the NPD, which tracks sales data in the U.S.
However, Nintendo’s console saw the most growth, eclipsing Switch sales during its launch in March 2017.
Competitors PS4 and Xbox One increased by 25 per cent. The Nintendo Switch also experienced the best hardware sales for the first quarter in ten years, since the Nintendo DS in 2010.
Likewise, for the first-quarter, spending increased two per cent year on year, totalling $773 million.
“Hardware spending in March 2020 grew 63% when compared to a year ago, to $461 million. Nintendo Switch hardware sales more than doubled when compared to a year ago, while PlayStation 4 and Xbox One each grew by more than 25 percent. First quarter hardware spending increased by 2 percent, to $773 million,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella, in a blog post.
As for games, ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ – released on 20th March – pushed forward Nintendo revenues and remains the current the best-selling game in the series. According to reports, Animal Farm was the fastest-selling Switch title in Japan and the UK, as was the third-best launch in the U.S for a Nintendo title.
The Covid-19 virus outbreak has also caused bottlenecks in Nintendo’s supply chains, stopping the retail of the Switch and restricting the sale of Lite; the former only appearing on resale platforms at a ballooned price.
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Nintendo posted on Twitter recently that it had temporarily paused shipments to Japan for the Switch and Switch Lite, to help supply issue, but was still fulfilling previously placed orders.