The Nintendo Switch Breaks Records making it best selling handheld system?

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Nintendo has had a great weekend. On Friday they released the Nintendo Switch, their 7^th console, and it has broken all of Nintendo’s previous records.

The console is a hybrid mobile and home console that employs several novel uses to make it the ultimate gaming device. There are several configurations possible with the Nintendo Switch. You can either use it as a handheld device, attach it to a TV, or connect it to a tablet. The controllers also come with all the capabilities of the Wii controllers, which adds extra flair to the mobile element.

Much of the information out on the sales of the Switch comes from Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime. Nick Wingfield, a journalist at the New York Times, details the interview in the tweet below.

2. Fri-Sat sales for Nintendo Switch exceeded first 2-day sales in Americas for any system in Nintendo history. Next biggest was Wii.

— Nick Wingfield (@nickwingfield) March 6, 2017

It is one thing to beat out the Wii for a 2-day record, but another thing entirely for Zelda to become the best-selling Nintendo title ever. The implication is that Mario Kart for Nintendo 64 has been beaten, which is quite something when you consider the 20 year head start it had. Mario Kart is one of those games that everyone has played, gamer or not, and to beat a game with such spread is unexpected.

The caveat on this is that Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the highest selling unbundled game in Nintendo’s history. Wii Sports sold more, but was bundled with the Wii, so couldn’t be considered as actual sales in the same way that a customer going out of their way to make a purchase would.

Since 2014, Nintendo has suffered losses due to the poor performance of the Wii U. Satoru Iwata, the president of the company at the time, made a huge push towards mobile gaming and hardware with novel elements, and the result is the Nintendo switch. Perhaps another part of Nintendo’s success is their devotion to their customers and desire to create great experiences like this one.

Official numbers have not been released but all indications say that the Nintendo Switch will be exactly what Nintendo needed to put them back in the game, so to speak.