While the Switch has been doing great around the world, it has failed to catch on in the UK to the same extent as it has everywhere else. It’s been doing just fine there. However, its success there has been decidedly more muted than it is elsewhere.
It looks like the Switch may be reaching critical momentum there, though. According to Christopher Ding, editor of GamesIndustry, the website that reports on Gfk-Tracker’s reports for video game hardware and software sales in the UK, Switch sales in the UK have risen meteorically over the last three weeks. Based on what he posted on Twitter, in that period, the console has sold 200,000 units in the UK—for comparison, the Switch sold 300,000 units in the UK in the first eight months it was on the market, which includes the launch of the console itself, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Super Mario Odyssey.
This also means the Switch is up roughly 50% over the same tracking period last year (when it sold roughly 130,000 units). The success of the Switch in the UK can probably be cited to some aggressive retailer specific bundles there, which have effectively given the console a price drop, as well as the launch of some software like Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
So, at last, it seems as though the Switch has some good momentum going in the UK. Now to see if Nintendo can actually sustain it going forward.