Nintendo sees post-pandemic software surge as Switch supply squeezed

Nintendo's video game sales hit an all-time yearly high as Switch console shipments drop.

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Nintendo's Fiscal Year 2022 period delivered a surprise software surge that pushed yearly game sales to a new record high. According to data provided by Nintendo and compiled by us, the company sold 235.07 million games throughout the FY22 period, making it the top year for game purchases.

These results are on the heels of FY21's breakthrough performance of $16 billion in net sales, with a heavy emphasis on hardware and software sales. FY22 benefitted from more software, but flagged behind in hardware revenues.

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The software push was driven by numerous high-profile releases throughout FY22, including Pokemon Legends Arceus (12.64 million), Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (14.65 million), and Kirby and the Forgotten Land (2.1 million). There was also strong growth across Nintendo's top 10 best-selling Switch games including Ring Fit Adventure, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing, and more.

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It's worth mentioning that Nintendo Switch console shipments were down in the FY22 period due to chip shortages. The company sold 23 million Switch consoles in FY22 as compared to an all-time high of 28.8 million in FY21.

The good news is that current Switch owners are buying more games than ever, and most of these are first-party titles (more on that later).

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Nintendo Fiscal Year 2022 Content Index

• Switch helped Nintendo make $62.8 billion since launch
• Switch hits 107.65 million sales, #3 top-selling Nintendo hardware
• Nintendo Switch top 10 best-sellers: Mario Kart 8 hits 45 million
• Nintendo has sold 538 million handhelds to date
• Nintendo announces 10-for-1 stock split to boost share volume
• Switch helped Nintendo sell over 822 million games so far
• Switch will beat Wii, DS lifetime game sales by 2023
• From NES to Switch, Nintendo has now sold 5.4 billion video games