Switch console launch sets 48-hour sales record for Nintendo of America

By Danny Cowan Updated March 7, 2017

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Nintendo Of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé confirmed that last weekend’s Nintendo Switch release was the company’s biggest console launch ever in North America, topping a previous 48-hour sales record set by its 2006 Wii console.

In the U.K., retailers revealed that the Switch sold around 80,000 units during its launch weekend, doubling the estimated 40,000 Wii U consoles sold during a 48-hour launch period in 2013, while trailing equivalent launches for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo’s own 3DS.

The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid gaming console that transforms into a portable gaming unit when removed from its TV-connected dock. The new console includes a pair of Joy-Con controllers, which function as wireless input during TV play and can be attached to the system’s touchscreen for on-the-go portable sessions.

Despite skepticism from the gaming community and prerelease concerns regarding Joy-Con connectivity, the Nintendo Switch quickly sold out at many retailers in North America, establishing a new sales record. Speaking to New York Times reporter Nick Wingfield, Fils-Aimé said the Switch “exceeded first 2-day sales in Americas for any system in Nintendo history.”

Fils-Aimé also confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now Nintendo’s fastest-selling stand-alone launch title in the United States, not counting games that were bundled with Nintendo console hardware. Nintendo’s previous top-selling U.S. launch title was 1996’s Super Mario 64, which debuted alongside the Nintendo 64 in 1996.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also emerged as a popular pick during its opening weekend, though Sony’s Horizon: Zero Dawn ranks as the week’s overall biggest seller across all platforms in the U.K. Other Switch launch titles appearing in this week’s U.K. sales charts, according to GamesInudstry.biz, include the minigame compilation 1-2 Switch and the multiplayer action game Super Bomberman R.

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