Nintendo was in desperate need of a hit after the company’s previous-generation home video game console was an utter disaster. With the Nintendo Switch, it appears as though Nintendo has found that hit. It’s obviously far too soon to tell if the Switch can maintain momentum over the long haul, but early signs are outstanding. Nintendo’s Wii U successor is in such high demand that the company had to double production. And what’s more, those who have managed to get their hands on a Switch already have overwhelmingly positive things to say despite the console’s lack of top-tier titles at launch.
So far, it does indeed look like the Switch is a hit. How big a hit remains to be seen, but a new leak suggests that Nintendo is expecting to put up huge sales numbers this year.
The Nintendo Switch debuted on March 3rd, and it’s been sold out everywhere ever since. In fact, the only way you can get your hands on a Switch console right now is to buy one on Amazon and pay a premium. Retailers are expecting shortages to persist for the foreseeable future, even as Nintendo increases production.
So, what does all this mean for Nintendo? According to a new leak from Digitimes, Nintendo expects Switch consoles to continue flying off store shelves for many months to come. In fact, according to multiple unnamed sources who work at Nintendo suppliers, the Japanese gaming giant expects to sell a whopping 20 million Switch consoles during the device’s first year of availability.
That’s a monster number, and it would go a long way to erase the memory of the Wii U, which hasn’t even sold 14 million units in the 4+ years since it launched. Nintendo president Kimishima Tatsumi recently suggested that lifetime Switch sales could climb as high as 110 million units, which would make the Switch the fifth best-selling video game console of all time, pushing the Wii into the #6 spot with just under 102 million units.
