Nintendo has seen a very strong five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, topping $250 million in sales for that period.
Between November 22nd and November 26th, the Nintendo Switch became the best-selling Nintendo console for that period in US history, surpassing the Wii. This period also saw Nintendo celebrating its strongest sales week for the Switch ever in the US; according to Adobe Analytics, the Nintendo Switch was the top-selling video game-related product between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, as well as being among the most-purchased items online during Thanksgiving Day.
This total isn't just Switch sales though; the $250 million figure also takes into account Nintendo 3DS family sales, the NES and SNES Classic retro consoles, and all Nintendo-produced games and accessories. All in all, total US hardware sales for the five-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday increased 45% over the same time period in 2017, with Switch sales specifically growing 115%.
The $250 million figure does seem to take into account pre-sales for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, due on December 7th, but doesn't include those who have pre-ordered but not yet paid or those who plan to purchase the game at launch. It also includes Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go! Eevee, which have sold over 1.5 million units between them since they launched on November 16th.
Over in 3DS land, this Black Friday period saw the install base for the system and its variants pass 22 million, while Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon have sold more than 2.2 million copies combined. Nintendo is still supporting the 3DS; its port of GameCube launch title Luigi's Mansion recently hit the shelves just in time for Halloween.
It's not all celebration for Nintendo though; the Switch's lack of killer games for its second year means analysts predict Nintendo will miss its March target of 38 million units shipped for the console, while its shares have dropped 33% from their January peak, putting the company close to its share value prior to the Switch's release. Super Smash Bros Ultimate alone, it seems, is not enough to see the console through its holiday period safely.
What's your opinion on Nintendo's Thanksgiving performance? Has Super Smash Bros Ultimate inspired you to get a Switch? Let us know in the comments below!
