Nintendo Switch sales have been stellar in recent weeks, so much so that there has been a massive Nintendo Switch shortage that’s caused terrible frustration. One thing is abundantly clear, however: the massive success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons shows that having one really good exclusive can move consoles by the millions.
Typically, March is a pretty slow month for game console purchases, but recent releases like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and the effect of lockdowns and quarantines have skyrocketed sales of the Nintendo Switch console. Nintendo has sold more than double the consoles that they had the previous year. (Microsoft and Sony haven’t lost out either, mind — the Xbox One and PS4 both saw spikes of 25%.)
ALSO: Super Mario 3D World Switch version shows up online
Initial reports indicated that we wouldn’t see a shortage despite people buying up the consoles in droves. (Sadly, it’s become awfully hard to find a Switch despite these predictions.)
The curious thing about these record-breaking sales is that Nintendo really hasn’t released much of note. While the European Spring sale might have tipped a few people over the edge, there weren’t any major first-party releases save for one exception: Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Combine that with the killer Animal Crossing special edition Nintendo Switch and you’ve got a recipe for millions of new console sales. The latest game in the franchise is perfect for the pandemic lockdown, so much so that it’s outsold all previous games in the franchise in the space of a month. And it shows no signs of stopping.
What do the Nintendo Switch sales mean for restocking?
Just one killer exclusive probably managed to move a lot of Nintendo Switches off of store shelves. Nintendo is still having trouble restocking shelves quickly enough, although those problems should be coming to an end soon.
We have already seen a wave of consoles arrive at Best Buy earlier this month and Ring Fit Adventure reappear on Amazon UK. These are just a few key events, but that’s not all: Nintendo is also aiming for a 10% increase in Nintendo Switch production in the coming weeks.
The fantastic Nintendo Switch sales were undoubtedly driven in part by Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Hopefully, these lovely consoles will be back in stock for everyone sooner rather than later so that everyone can join in on the fun.
Game Revolution recommends all readers comply with CDC guidelines and remain as isolated as possible during this urgent time. Visit the Centers for Disease Control at CDC.gov or the World Health Organization at Who.int for the latest information on the coronavirus and learn what you can do to stop the spread.
