Zelda, Mario and Pikmin bolster Nintendo as Switch sales decline

Nintendo’s Digital Game Sales Boost Company Performance
Nintendo’s digital game sales have been instrumental in maintaining the company’s strong performance as the Switch approaches the end of its reign as the flagship console. In the latest earnings report covering the period from March to September 2023, Nintendo disclosed impressive sales figures for popular titles such as “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” “Pikmin 4,” and “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.” The company sold a total of 57.01 million copies of the kart racing game to date.

Steady Growth in Switch Titles and Digital Sales
Apart from its own games, Nintendo highlighted the steady growth of other Switch titles, including those from third-party publishers. A total of 16 games achieved million-unit sales during the same period, contributing to the overall success of the platform. Digital sales for the company reached 217.5 billion Yen ($1.45 billion) from March to September, reflecting a significant increase compared to the previous year.

Switch Family Sales Performance
Nintendo reported a 2.4 percent year-on-year increase in unit sales for the entire Switch family, driven primarily by the strong performance of the Switch OLED console. While sales of the Switch OLED increased by 32.8 percent compared to the previous year, the basic Switch model saw a 44 percent decrease in sales. The Switch Lite also experienced a slight decline in sales. Despite these challenges, Nintendo remains optimistic about the future by planning to release more games to attract players and potentially encourage multiple console purchases.

Future Releases and New Flagship Console
Looking ahead, Nintendo has several game releases planned for the holiday season, including “WarioWare: Move It!,” “Super Mario RPG,” and additional content for “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet.” Additionally, the company is expected to unveil its new flagship console next year, with reports suggesting that developers have already been introduced to the device’s advanced features such as ray-tracing technology.