How much of a success is the Switch? Let’s take a deep look.

For a system that farms the console and mobile market all at once, it did average at best.

Yep, these things have been stated countless times before. Maybe without fudging other companies numbers into it, but still. The Vita and Dreamcast inclusions are unnecessary in the point you're trying to illustrate and the reasoning doesn't really work.

Regardless, Switch is a huge success no matter how you slice it. Put up big numbers, profitable every step of the way, seeing bonkers software sales for their 1st party games, seeing the most 3rd party software since the SNES.

Doubt Nintendo considers this thing anything but a win.

Big success. I’m sure there were plenty of people who owned both the Nintendo home consoles and handheld systems in previous generations so you can’t simply say that the Switch needs to sell the total of those two to be considered successful. It streamlined everything for both Nintendo and the consumer. I’m sure Nintendo is quite satisfied with the result. I know I am.

It's a smashing success.... Doesn't matter how you feel about it personally. It will he remembered as an all time Nintendo great.

Huge success despite the weaker hardware.

Definitely a big success, accompanied with a solid library of games.

As a console, it's a failure, as a handheld it's a success.

There one in the same really.

On topic: The Switch is what the failure Wii U should have been. If Iwata was still around, (R.I.P) he be proud how the Switch turned out to be a successful device. Anyway, the Switch is without a doubt a great gaming device that's both a console & a handheld you can play how you see fit. Sad to say but it seems I'm the only system war user who loves using the handheld feature over playing it on my TV and I do play it at work whenever I have down time to do so. Nintendo's best console but SNES is still king IMO.

@davillain: I disagree, as a console its underpowered tech when its a next (now current) gen machine, when you compare it to other hanheld devices its a big succes. Sales isn't the only measure of success.

For me the 64 is Nintendo's best comsole.

@last_lap: Fair enough. I won't disagree on its hardware spec. It didn't aged well and it wasn't a problem until later on, AAA games got heavy demands and the Switch was kinda behind the times what it was packing. Of course, it's exclusives make up for owning one. And yes, the N64 was also amazing, it got me into loving FPS games.

@davillain: Yeah if was just a handhold you can forgive it, but is has a dock and its pretty poor.

Being a Sega man from the start I never played much SNES, at that time, It was only when I got a 64 for the wrestling games (still has the best to this day) I slowly started to buy more Nintendo stuff.

So was it Goldeneye that got you into fps?

The Switch is a huge success at anything but hardware power.

Dav wut. I know plenty of SW users love it for its handheld functionality. "On the go!" was the handwave for most of its crits for years lol.

Even if you forgot most of the users or arguments, handheld master Eroica already posted in this thread.

@ConanTheStoner: Eroica is the handheld master? Yes I believe he has both the Steam Deck and Switch, lucky him. I want to become a handheld master too, but Valve hasn’t released the Steam Deck here in Australia yet.

Valve + Nintendo = masters in handheld gaming

@lavamelon:

More just joking around with Dav for overlooking other handheld fans. But yeah, Eroica has definitely been one of the more outspoken fans of handhelds/hybrids over the years.

Steam Deck seems like a cool device, hopefully you can get your hands on one soon.

Personally, not interested. Used to buy just about every handheld that came out. Play a game or two and then they'd end up in a dresser drawer until I give them away years later. Probably got the most use out of my GBA. But even then, preferred just using the GBA addon for the Gamecube.

As for the Switch, 99.9% of the time, just playing it hooked up to a monitor.

Comparing hardware sales is pointless. You have to compare software sales as thats the point of the consoles.

Yup, the software sales for the system is probably the main reason I consider the switch a huge win.

Zelda, 3D Mario, Fire Emblem, Pokemon (barring Red and Blue), Kirby, Smash, Splatoon, Mario Kart, Mario Party, Metroid, Pikmin are all shattering records. Animal Crossing completely exploded with New Horizons outselling the rest of the series combined.

New IPs have also done well with Ring Fit Adventure having sold over 15 million copies.

It's a huge success. I like how after the Wii U failure they took risks and absolutely nailed it. I hope their next one is an hybrid too, although I use it 90% of the time as a home console I appreciate the portability aspect.

And yeah, their software sales are mighty impressive too.

@mesome713: I haven’t checked the software sales statistics of Switch in comparison with previous consoles. I will take a look into this soon.

Eh, Nintendont got kicked outta the big boy club of Console gaming. Thier only chance left was to merge their home gaming with handheld gaming so the Bait & Switch was born.

When you look at the Wii gen combined with their handheld numbers, this gen was basically nothing but a lateral move. :P