Nintendo Reportedly Sells 50,000 Switch Units on Launch Day in China Alone
Misael Duran
Early estimates indicate that the unstoppable Switch has struck gold again.
Market research and consulting firm Niko Partners estimates that the Nintendo Switch has sold approximately 50,000 units on its launch day in China, according to a tweet from senior analyst Daniel Ahmad. Niko came to these numbers through data collected from online retailers and their own market model.
According to Niko’s estimates, the Switch appears to be on track to sell 100,000 units in China. Niko predicts that the Switch will take over as the market leader in China by 2022, usurping the PlayStation 4.
We estimate that more than 50,000 Nintendo Switch units (Tencent China Version) have been sold through to consumers in China on launch day according to data from online retailers and our market model.
Inline with our forecast of 100k by the end of 2019.https://t.co/RQxLR6Idp5 pic.twitter.com/iJZB3TeVLB
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 11, 2019
The Switch was the first Nintendo home console to officially release in China since the country’s 2000 console ban. The console launched in the country on Dec. 10, and was sold for 2,099 yuan, or approximately $298 in U.S. currency today. The console came with a trial version of New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and owners can download the full game at the eShop for only 299 yuan, or around $42. Other games coming to China are Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee. These games are expected to release in the upcoming weeks.
Related: Nintendo Switch Makes Sales History in the U.S. Over Black Friday Weekend
China banned home consoles in 2000 after they were deemed unsuitable for children to own. In spite of that, PC and mobile gaming became increasingly popular. China has grown into the biggest market for video games, surpassing the U.S. Consoles were still sold in China via the black market, and some companies were able to release console-like machines to bypass the ban.
China alleviated the console ban in 2014, before lifting it completely in 2015. The Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have already been officially launched in the country. Nintendo chose to wait until two years after the Switch’s global release to officially release the console in China. It released the Switch in China under the partnership of Tencent, a multinational conglomerate based in China.
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