Skip to main content

Strong holiday season pushes Nintendo Switch to record-breaking sales for 2018

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Backed by a strong holiday season, the Nintendo Switch overtook the PS4 as the best-selling console of 2018 in the United States, according to the NPD Group. The feat is even more impressive when you consider that the PS4 won the monthly sales battle through October.

While exact figures aren’t known yet, the Switch’s 2018 sales exceeded a current-generation record previously owned by the PS4 for the 2015 calendar year. The Switch’s 2018 year proved to be the most lucrative since the Nintendo Wii in 2009. There’s no doubt that the Switch’s strong numbers contributed to an overall growth for the console industry at large, which went up eight percent from last year to a staggering $5.1 billion, the highest since 2009. All three major consoles — Switch, Xbox One, and PS4 — posted higher individual sales than in 2017.

Recommended Videos

For the Switch, the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate in December and Pokémon: Let’s Go in November undoubtedly pushed it ahead of its competitors. Despite only being available for roughly three weeks in 2018, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was the best-selling Switch game of the year. The Let’s Go titles (Pikachu and Eevee) came in at six and seven on the top ten list. If there was any lingering doubt that Super Smash Bros. Ultimate could be a system seller, it has been defiantly erased.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Image used with permission by copyright holder

Though not all that unsurprising, three of the top five best-selling Switch games of 2018 came out in 2017: Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Super Mario Party slotted at five).

It makes sense that “older” games still drive Switch sales when you look at the overall top 10 best-selling games of 2018:

  1. Red Dead Redemption 2
  2. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
  3. NBA 2K19
  4. Madden NFL 19
  5. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
  6. Marvel’s Spider-Man
  7. Far Cry 5
  8. God of War
  9. Monster Hunter: World
  10. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

All ten of those games launched in 2018 and only two of them — Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and NBA 2K19 — are available on Switch. The top 20, by contrast, has a total of six games exclusive to Switch. The PS4 only had two exclusives make the top 20, and the Xbox One had none. It’s clear that people are buying the Switch for the experiences they cannot find on PS4 and Xbox One. And lots of folks are buying what Nintendo is selling.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
The Nintendo Switch games with the best graphics
Mario throws his hat, Cappy, while exploring New Dunk City

Look,no one is going to argue that the Nintendo Switch is a graphical powerhouse on par with other modern consoles. Released in 2017 as a hybrid device, its lower specs make sense, of course, given that Nintendo designed the Switch to function as both a home entertainment system and a handheld. Even without stellar visuals, it still brings a bevy of riveting single-player experiences alongside plenty of beloved multiplayer titles.

The console's successor will no doubt sport better specs, so there are certain to be even nicer visuals on the way. But in the meantime, many developers have found ways to pull off some visually impressive titles on the Nintendo Switch despite its lower-end hardware, including some upcoming titles that are looking quite promising. Here are some of the Nintendo Switch games with the best graphics.

Read more
Nintendo Switch 2 specs and design reportedly leak thanks to prototype
An image of the Nintendo Switch - OLED Model Mario Red Edition.

A series of leaked images corroborated by Video Games Chronicle appear to have given us our first look at Nintendo's next console.

That platform, which is colloquially known as the Nintendo Switch 2, has been rumored for a long time and is going to be revealed before the end of this fiscal year. The Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be in full production now, and some images and specs of what appear to be a factory prototype of it appeared on a Chinese website, as spotted by r/gamingleaksandrumours. It features a mix of real-life photos and CAD mock-ups of the Nintendo Switch 2.

Read more
The best single-player Nintendo Switch games
Link and other characters from Tears of the Kingdom.

The Nintendo Switch has continued to dominate the video game world thanks to mixing portability and the ability to play games on a TV. On top of that, the Switch is home to one of the best game lineups in history, ranging from party experiences to those that can be played solo and some in between. While multiplayer and online titles have huge audiences, single-player games have been a staple of video games since the medium began -- leading to some unforgettable experiences.

With that in mind, we've decided to take a look at the best single-player games on Nintendo Switch. This list is made up of games that can be played offline, even if some have a multiplayer component or online functionality. We'll cover lots of different types of games, from high-profile AAA titles to indie darlings, so hopefully there will be a little something for everyone.

Read more