Nintendo Switch Surpasses GameCube Sales At 22 Million, Keeps Pace With Wii Sales

Published: October 30, 2018 7:31 PM /

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nintendo switch television

The Nintendo Switch has now sold more than 22 million units as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, surpassing the lifetime total of the GameCube.

The most recent quarter showed that Nintendo had moved 3.19 million Nintendo Switch consoles, bringing its lifetime sales total to 22.86 million. This built on a solid trend from the previous quarter; the Japanese game software and hardware developer had sold 5.07 million Switches in the last two quarters combined.

Switch sales have surpassed those of the GameCube, but it managed to pull it off much quicker. The GameCube sold 20.85 million units between 2002 and 2009 whereas Nintendo's newest console was just launched in March of last year. It hasn't just matched the sales numbers of the beloved purple cube, either - it's already surpassed them by a million units and counting.

While the Nintendo Switch is certainly doing quite well and the rapidity of the sales are impressive, the real juggernaut of Nintendo's home console lineup has always been the Wii. In total, the Wii has moved 101.63 million units within a decade. It's certainly a monumental number to overtake. That said, the Switch appears to be roughly keeping pace with the Wii judging by its sales numbers after one and a half years on store shelves. If trends continue, we may see the Switch become the top dog for Nintendo's console sales sometime before the halfway point of the next decade.

Nintendo's other hardware offerings have had somewhat mixed successes. The 3DS moved another 1 million units - a drop of 65.1% as compared to last year's numbers. The NES and SNES retro consoles sold a very solid combined total of 3.69 million units. Finally, Nintendo's smartphone ventures have shown a small 4% growth, making it one of the weaker areas of the company's ventures.

Suffice to say, the Nintendo Switch is doing quite well. It's already blown past the GameCube's sales numbers and shows no signs of stopping. In a few short years, we may see it take the crown from the Wii (and maybe even beyond that).

What do you think of the Nintendo Switch surpassing sales of the GameCube? Do you think it will be able to beat out the Wii's massive sales numbers? Let us know in the comments below!

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A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
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One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N