2020 was a major year for video game console hardware. The big story was of course the launch of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X next-generation hardware, but the underlying story was the continued success of the current generation of PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One hardware. Now the numbers are available to support that idea. According to NPD reporting, annual hardware sales reached $5.3 billion in 2020, and leading the way was the Nintendo Switch.
In a year with multiple next-gen console releases, the Nintendo Switch has maintained its dominance. Not only did the Nintendo Switch top the charts in 2020 in terms of both units sold and sales dollars, but it also won the month of December in both categories. November was split, with the PS5 topping dollars and Switch winning units sold. The Nintendo Switch's dominance is all the more surprising given the lack of a major Nintendo Switch exclusive released during the holiday season.
Overall, this makes for two years straight of the Nintendo Switch outselling its competition in terms of overall units sold. It's an unprecedented feat, outdone only in that the 2008 sales of the Nintendo Wii resulted in more overall dollar sales. It also goes against the narrative that the Nintendo Switch's popularity is being driven by the pandemic, as its outsold other consoles for well beyond those months in 2020. And odds are it will continue to do so going forward.
Next up behind the Nintendo Switch is both of Sony's consoles. According to the NPD, the PS5 was second in overall dollar sales while the PS4 was second in units sold. The difference caused by the PS5's much higher price point. It's unclear where the PS5 falls in overall units sold, though some reports indicate that around 3.4 million units were sold in the console's first four weeks.
In the PS5's case, as well as the Xbox Series X's case, the pandemic has certainly had a dramatic impact on each console's sales. Both manufacturing and shipping limitations have likely prevented the next-generation consoles from reaching the sales numbers that they could have reached in an otherwise normal year. It's unclear how big of an impact that is, however, or if it will have long-term effects.
Three Nintendo Switch exclusive games ultimately made the top 10 selling games of 2020. Those being Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars. Not necessarily the line-up one would expect in a year where Nintendo dominated a near-record year for the gaming industry.