Nintendo shared the news in a recent Q&A call with investors, where it revealed the console’s popularity and overall success in 2020, as well as plans to expand that coverage in the future. One of the most notable things detailed in the Q&A was a report that 20% of the Switch sales made during that past year were sold to households that already own one. Engadget notes that the release of titles like Mario Kart Life: Home Circuit, as well as Animal Crossing: New Horizons could have helped fuel the purchases. That 20% of sales works out to around 5.8 million consoles, according to Gamasutra. Gamasutra also reports that this demand for multiple consoles in the same households is one that Nintendo previously had named as its biggest growth opportunity, especially in the West. This news could be an indicator of just how well that plan is going. “In the previous fiscal year, household demand for multiple systems accounted for roughly 20% of unit sales of the Nintendo Switch family of systems,” Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in the Q&A. “Going forward, we expect demand for multiple systems per household will increase even as hardware unit sales grow.” Furukawa also notes that games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons—which saw global success—have helped open the door for gamers to find other Nintendo franchises like The Legend of Zelda and Mario. This has only helped fuel the company’s growth and earnings. Furukawa noted that Nintendo is still dealing with production issues and chip shortages, which has slowed shipments, yet helped to further increase demand for the Switch. He also mentioned that the Switch is currently in the middle of its lifecycle, which could mean the console will receive new titles and support from Nintendo for another five to six years.
