Without a doubt, the Nintendo Switch helped put the Big N back on the map in a big way when it released back in March of last year. With its hybrid status as a home system and portable game device catering to both core console fans and those who prefer playing on the go, one analyst went on to predict that it will sell 40 million units in four years. While such a feat has yet to be achieved, the hardware is definitely still on track to be a sales dynamo, as a recent assessment from The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella revealed that the system set a record by reaching the highest installed base for a console platform in history in its first year.

This much regarding the Nintendo Switch was confirmed during a rundown of The NPD Group's February 2018 Video Game Market Highlights. The information in question can be found at the 2:45 mark in the YouTube video directly below. While no further analysis was provided by Piscatella, such a record will likely lead to more positive growth in terms of sales for the system this year, especially considering the fact that there are even more highly coveted first-party software releases in the works.

While 2017's sales of the Nintendo Switch were unquestionably buoyed by such major titles as the open world action-adventure release The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the 3D platformer Super Mario Odyssey, the Big N has even more games in the pipeline that will continue to support the system this year. For instance, the company recently revealed that a Super Smash Bros. title is set to launch for the Switch in 2018, and with the fighting game franchise now being a pillar of the Nintendo brand, it will surely assist in selling some more systems.

All things considered, should Nintendo keep developing more stellar in-house content for the Switch while also allowing for a continued stream of third-party releases to make their way onto the system, it stands to reason that the hybrid mobile console will sustain sales solid enough to compete with PS4. Perhaps the Switch's sales momentum will even cause it to surpass Xbox One. And with such an international juggernaut property as Pokemon at its disposal, it wouldn't be wise to count Nintendo out of the game.

The Nintendo Switch is available now.

Source: Mat Piscatella - NPD Analyst, US Video Games – YouTube