The Nintendo Switch launched back in 2017, four years after the launch of rival platform owners Microsoft and Sony's Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Unlike those consoles, the Switch offered to combine the at-home experience of those consoles, while allowing handheld play as well. Since the initial model was released in 2017, Nintendo has released two newer versions of the console; the Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED.

The former of these two allowed only for a handheld gameplay experience, while the Switch OLED offered to enhance the original, with improvements to internal storage, audio, and an OLED screen. With updates to the console's hardware, and some of the most popular exclusives available only on the Nintendo Switch such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and the recently released Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it's little wonder as to why so many gamers have decided to get their hands on the hybrid machine.

RELATED: Nintendo Switch Dominated Hardware Sales in 2021

Back in November 2021, it was reported that the sales of the Nintendo Switch were approaching an important sales milestone. Now, it has been reported that the sales of the Nintendo Switch have reached 103.54 million, surpassing the famous Nintendo Wii. The Wii was marketed as the perfect family console, and popular titles such as Wii Sports Resort and Mario Kart Wii pushed the console to be in the top 10 best-selling consoles of all time. The Switch has squeezed into the top 5 position though, surpassing the Wii and original PlayStation.

Nintendo Switch – OLED Model - Nintendo - Official Site

With console shortages plaguing gamers since the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X first launched in late 2020. Though the PlayStation 5 has still managed to sell well, surpassing the Wii U sales in its first year on the market, the Nintendo Switch sales have remained strong, dominating the sales records of 2021. It seems that while scalpers are aiming to bottleneck the sales of the latest consoles, gamers are deciding to shop elsewhere and buy themselves a slightly older machine.

It's not just Switch hardware sales that are breaking records though. Pokemon Legends: Arceus has managed to top Amazon's bestseller list in its first day of being on sale, breaking records in terms of actual game sales as well, being the most pre-ordered title ever in U.K. retailer Currys' history. While Nintendo can keep creating exclusives for the Switch that generate so much hype, the console will likely still sell well. With a Nintendo Direct on the way too, no doubt there will be some exciting news for Switch fans.

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Source: Nintendo Financial Earnings