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Nintendo Switch reclaims title of best-selling console in the US for 2022

For the fifth year in a row, the Nintendo Switch has sold the most units of any console available on the US market, beating out the likes of Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S.


switch oled nintendo
The OLED Nintendo Switch offer a great gaming experience despite a 720p display

It’s been nearly six years since the Nintendo Switch was released, but the console continues to break records left and right. According to NPD Group, the Switch was the best-selling console in the US for 2022 based on units sold.

However, its direct competitor, the PlayStation 5, topped the charts in terms of revenue generated, mostly thanks to its much steeper price point compared to the Switch.

Hardware spending in the US grew by 16% in December 2022, reaching $1.5 billion in market value ahead of the holiday season. US consumers spent upwards of $6.6 billion on hardware purchases in 2022 as a whole, which is an 8% growth when compared to the year prior. This is despite the video game market experiencing a contraction instead of growth, with a 5% decline in revenue in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Spending on console games made up a big fraction of those $56.6 billion in revenue generated, with $47.5 billion spent in 2022, a 7% difference from 2021 numbers. Mobile games were hit especially hard in 2022, with shooter games, in particular, seeing massive dropoffs in 2022, falling by 26% year-over-year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the best-selling game of last year in the United States in terms of revenue, with the so-called GOAT, Elden Ring, grabbing the second spot and Madden NFL 2023 placing third on the sales chart.

The Nintendo company had a strong performance in this sector as well, with three of its titles placing in the top eleven on this list. The Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, was the sixth best-selling title of last year, Pokemon Legends: Arceus was eight, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe barely missed out on the top 10, placing eleventh on this list.

The Switch has been the best-selling console in terms of units sold ever since it was released in 2017. A large portion of its success must be attributed to its mobility and huge collection offering of first and third-party games. The ability to play console-quality triple-A titles on the go certainly played a big role in purchasing decisions, especially ahead of the holiday season as the rankings show.

switch basic oled
The basic and OLED model are both performing great in the US

Starting at around $300, the base Nintendo Switch is a lot cheaper than the base PlayStation 5 which retails for around $500. With platform-exclusive releases like Splatoon 3 and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Nintendo managed to maintain sales and keep its winning streak alive. Throw in a few clever marketing tactics, with bundled purchases of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet-inspired OLED Nintendo Switch models, and you have a recipe for success. The game continues to generate huge amounts of interest, and the upcoming update should only make things better. So much so that Nintendo has reportedly canceled plans for the Switch Pro, which proves their confidence in the current console.


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Scott Kostov

Scott Kostov // Articles: 129

A passion for writing and gaming has propelled Scott down the path of content creation. When he isn't scouring every known source on the internet for information, he's a track addict vibing to music in the countryside of sunny Macedonia. Link up with Scott on Twitter and Steam.
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