Fortnite is experiencing tremendous popularity on every system it can be played on, and the Nintendo Switch isn't an outlier to its success. New data from Nintendo reveals that nearly half of all Switch owners have downloaded Fortnite to their consoles.

The new information is provided directly from the President of Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa. Nintendo has released figures for how the company has fared over the last six months in their latest fiscal report. Furukawa discussed the statistics, revealing that times are good at Nintendo right now, and that the popularity of Fortnite is a part of its success.

In less than six months, Fortnite has been downloaded to nearly half of all Nintendo Switch systems, including in Japan, the United States, and Europe. With over 20 million Switch units sold, this is an impressive number, but ultimately, just a drop in the bucket for Fortnite. Fortnite has reached 125 million players since its release, so only a fraction of those players are joining the game on the Switch. However, Nintendo is pleased at the success of Fortnite, as it is keeping players engaged on the Switch, a core goal of the company going forward.

Although Nintendo dropped the news that Fortnite was coming to the Switch as a surprise during E3 2018, its timing in doing so probably helped boost downloads. The Android version of the game has only recently become available, meaning the Switch may have netted some Android users who didn't otherwise have a device to play the game on at the time.

In addition to the game's basic popularity, Switch users are likely continuing to play partially due to the fact that the game is free, and thus doesn't require a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to play online with others. Gamers who can't afford or don't want to support Nintendo Switch Online can still readily enjoy Fortnite, which is likely to help maintain its success over time.

Although Twitch viewers aren't watching Fortnite like they used to, the game's popularity seems unlikely to drop off significantly anytime soon. With more Switch systems moving and the Switch Fortnite bundle available on store shelves, the partnership between Epic Games and Nintendo looks to be a fruitful one going forward.

Fortnite is available now on Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile devices.

Source: Nintendo