Nintendo Switch Reaches 500,000 Units Sold in Japan 3 Weeks Faster than PS4

As of March 26th, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 500,000 units in Japan. The console is currently sitting on 520,000 units and it only took them a four week period to sell over half of a million units. In the third week after launch, sales dropped a bit but bounced back for week four. For comparison, four weeks after the launch of the Playstation 4, Sony had sold 440,000 units in Japan. By their seventh week, they had sold over 500,000 and did not reach the Switch's current number until week eight.

The consoles don't seem to be affecting each other's sales in any way, and that's to be expected. The Switch is very different from the mainstream Xbox One and PS4, and Nintendo products have always sold incredibly well locally. Not to mention the fact that the Switch is a portable console, unlike the PS4 and Xbox, which helps consumers rationalize their reason for purchasing it. The Switch is in a completely different market than the other two consoles.

On another note, the Switch did not beat the Wii U in sales. It took the Wii U three weeks to reach half of a million units sold, but that is hugely due to the fact that it was released around Christmas. Sales always increase around the Holiday season and consoles like the Wii U make perfect gifts for children, friends, and family members. Hopefully, this Switch trend continues and more and more major titles get locked into the Switch's future lineup.