Nintendo just misses Switch sales goal for FY 2022, expects sales to slow

The months of January, February, and March are usually slow for Nintendo, but it seems no one told the company that as they delivered 4 big titles in that period.

Of course, coming after the ‘Holiday’ quarter, the growth in hardware sales might seem a little smaller by comparison, but Nintendo has still sold quite well. Nintendo ended the financial year with 17.97m Nintendo Switch consoles sold, just shy of its 18m goal. This was a decline of 22.1% year on year as Nintendo says “shortages of semiconductors and other components impacted production until around the end of summer”. A lack of growth over the holidays compared to other years was also mentioned. Nintendo expects to sell only 15m Switch consoles this financial year showing that things are slowing down.

Software sales were down 9% year-on-year as well, but digital sales were up 12.7% for the same period.

Any results related to The Super Mario Bros. Movie weren’t mentioned.

New games released included Metroid Prime Remastered which topped a million, Fire Emblem Engage (1.6m), and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe also did well (1.46m). The other title released this quarter was Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon but no figures were given for that.

Nintendo’s evergreen titles got a boost, Mario Party Superstars went over 10m old, and Splatoon 3 did as well. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet inch closer and closer to overtaking Pokemon Gold and Silver as well.

Switch Hardware Updates

Nintendo Switch total: 125.62m (Up from 122.55m)
– Nintendo Switch: 94.8m (Up from 88.66m)
– Nintendo Switch Lite: 23.02m (Up from 20.40m)
– Nintendo Switch OLED Model: 22.71m (Up from 13.49m)

Switch Software Million Sellers Updates

Last Quarter Additions

• Fire Emblem Engage – 1.61m
• Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe – 1.46m
• Metroid Prime Remastered – 1.09m
• Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon – No listing

Pokémon

• Pokémon Sword and Shield – 25.82m (up from 25.68m last qtr)
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet – 22.10m (up from 20.61m last qtr)
• Pokémon Legends: Arceus – 1.48m (up from 14.63m)

Evergreen Million Sellers

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 53.79m (up from 52m last qtr)
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 42.21m (Up from 41.59m last qtr)
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 31.09m (up from 30.44m last qtr)
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 29.81m (up from 29m last qtr)
• Super Mario Odyssey –  26.75m (up from 25.12m last qtr)
• Super Mario Party – 19.14m (up from 18.79m  last qtr)
• Ring Fit Adventure – 15.38m (up from 15.22m last qtr)
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 15.41m
• Mario Party Superstars – 10.17m
• Splatoon 3 – 10.67m (Up from 10.33m)
• Nintendo Switch Sports – 9.6m (Up from 8.61m)
• Mario Strikers Battle League Football – 2.54m (Up from 2.47m)
• Xenoblade Chronicles 3 – 1.86m (Up from 1.8m last qtr)
• Bayonetta 3 – 1.07m (up from 1.04m last qtr)