The numbers are in for the Nintendo Switch’s year one sales in Japan- it managed to shift an impressive 3.8 million units in the country in its first year. It’s an impressive number especially because the system was basically selling without any Japanese third party support (which all went to the PS4), and because it was plagued with shortages through most of last year.
The other interesting thing here is how the Switch’s debut compares to the competition- the PS4 sold only 1.1 million units in its first year on the market, so the Switch more than tripled the PS4’s debut. That said, the 3DS ended up selling more than the Switch did in its first year- although it was also cheaper, had a price cut, was not plagued with shortages, and had a major Monster Hunter game hit it in year one.
So the Switch’s debut is impressive, all things considered- now to see if Nintendo can sustain this pace going forward. Given how well their games are selling in the country on a sustained basis, there is some hope on that front.
