Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling console of this generation

It is official. Nintendo revealed via The NPD Group stats that the Nintendo Switch has become the fastest-selling video game system of this hardware generation through 21 months. From March 2017 through November 2018, the hybrid console sold more than 8.7 million units in the US, which outpaces the PS4 and Xbox One at the same point in their life cycles.

In addition to this solid milestone for the hybrid console, software has continued to perform well on the Nintendo Switch. Out of the gate, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has sold over three million units in 11 days in the US according to Nintendo's internal data.

“We are thrilled to see such a strong reaction from consumers in the second holiday season for Nintendo Switch,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, in the press release for the milestone announcement. “We’re looking forward to delivering more excitement and smiles to our fans in the coming year and beyond.”

If you were one of the many that doubted the success of the Nintendo Switch, you were not alone. The hybrid console was a concept that screamed boom or bust, to the point that even Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara told Nintendo that the Switch would fail. Nintendo of America also shared a few other facts about the Switch's performance in the US:

Nintendo hardware unit and dollar sales for 2018 are at their highest annual totals since 2011.
Nintendo eShop sales have grown 105 percent over 2017.
Evergreen Nintendo Switch games have set new milestones, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe selling over 4 million and 5 million units, respectively. Super Mario Odyssey has sold over 4.7 million units.
In addition to the fast-selling Super Smash Bros. Ultimate game, other recently released games that continue to make a splash include Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Pokémon: Let’s Go, Eevee!, which together total 2 million units, and Super Mario Party at 1.4 million.

The Nintendo Switch is available now. Are you one of the many consumers that grabbed one? Let us know in Chatty what types of games you're playing on your Switch and stay tuned to Shacknews for additional updates.