[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s been three months since Nintendo crashed back into the gaming industry with the Switch. After a rocky launch, plagued with hardware issues and supply shortages, the Switch is doing better than you have might expected. Time for a report card.

 

SALE, SALE, SALE!

The Switch managed to outsell the PS4 and Xbox One in North America in both March and April, according to marketing agency NPD. Considering the supply shortages, this is simply astonishing. While the total number of sales is difficult to quantify, many outlets place the number at around 4 million units, with demand outpacing that of the original Wii. Comparing Switch sales to total WiiU sales at the same point in its life cycle; the Switch is looking to be a success, at worst – a phenomenon, at best.

 

No Going Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8DSI623kxI

If there’s one thing going for the Switch, it’s Nintendo’s own support. As the 3DS is phased out and the Switch becomes their only platform, Nintendo must continue to develop high quality first party titles. By the end of 2017, triple A games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Splatoon 2, ARMS and Super Mario Odyssey will all be playable on the Switch. If this doesn’t show gamers that Nintendo is all in, nothing will.

 

Don’t count your Yoshis before they hatch

It’s important to note that the sales of a console don’t necessarily guarantee its success. This is because of the software attach rate; the average number of games that a player will buy over the console life cycle. While the original Wii sold over 80 million units in its lifetime, it had a relatively low attach rate. Conversely, while the PlayStation Vita sold a paltry 12 million units, the software sales were high enough to make it worthwhile for Sony. The attach rate for the Switch is difficult to predict this early on, but we can say for certain that it will depend on the quality and diversity of the games. If the launch-window games are any indication of what is to come, we have much more to look forward to.

 

I’m a believer

The Switch will breathe some life back into Nintendo after the disastrous WiiU. It seems they’ve learned from their mistakes and have finally delivered a product that appeals to both core gamers and the wider market. I, for one, am eagerly awaiting E3 (The Electronic Entertainment Expo) happening next week for a glimpse of what I’ll be playing on my Switch in a year’s time.