The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the Nintendo Switch launch lineup. Not only has the game earned unprecedented critical acclaim, but it's also the fastest-selling Nintendo game, with over 1.3 million units sold across both the Wii U and Switch versions in the month of March. The Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild even managed to sell more copies than Nintendo sold Switch consoles.

The Nintendo Switch sold 906,000 units in the month of March, versus the 925,000 copies of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild that sold for the console (the Wii U version of the game topped out at 460,000 units). For those scratching their heads at this surprising fact, there are a couple of explanations that should clear things up.

For one, it's possible that some consumers purchased two copies of the game. In fact, there are some collectors that purchase one copy of a game purely for collecting it, and then a second copy that they use to actually play it. These individuals could have factored into the game's over-100% attach rate with the Switch.

Zelda Breath of the Wild PC emulator

Another group that could have played a role in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild's impressive sales numbers are people that bought the game for the Switch before they had their hands on the console. Since launch, Nintendo has struggled to keep up with demand for the Switch, a problem it hopes to rectify by doubling the production of the console for the next fiscal year. Some people may have purchased Zelda with the hope that they would be able to find a Switch in the meantime, perhaps from an online scalper.

Regardless of why The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch sold more copies than there are Switch units, it's hard to deny that the game deserves it. Breath of the Wild has the record for most perfect scores out of any other video game released to date, and even spent some time as the highest-rated game ever before some lower scores brought down its average rating.

With record-breaking reviews and sales, don't expect enthusiasm for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild to wane any time soon. Once Nintendo rectifies its Switch supply issues, the game will likely enjoy another surge in sales, as it is currently the biggest game in the console's library, and looks to retain that title for the foreseeable future.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is available now for Nintendo Switch and Wii U.