It has now been confirmed that the SNES Classic Mini and Nintendo Switch have both outsold the PS4 and Xbox One in the month of October.
According to the latest NPD Group information, the Nintendo Switch was the top selling console last month in the United States, with the SNES Mini taking second place.
And that’s not the only top stat to consider, especially when you add in the data for the Nintendo 3DS.
When combined with the older handheld, Nintendo’s range of systems accounted for two-thirds of all video game hardware sold in the US.
And that would be for the second month in a row, following details shared in September by the NPD Group.
Every month from July onward has seen the Nintendo Switch outsell the PS4 and Xbox One, which may not be that surprising.
While people were cautious about the Switch when it was first announced, it was quickly realised that there was a gap in the market for such a device.
It should also be noted that the Switch has been going up against consoles that have been around for quite a few years, while the likes of the SNES Mini are new.
There’s also the fact that Microsoft had a new console – the Xbox One X – scheduled to launch in November, with Black Friday also providing an intriguing sales period.
Other recent NPD results have revealed just how fruitful it can be for Nintendo to have a better level of stock in its release month.
NPD analyst Mat Piscatella confirmed that the Super Nintendo was the highest selling hardware platform in September.
“SNES Classic was the overall top unit selling hardware platform in the period,” Piscatella revealed.
“PS4 led all HW platforms in consumer spend during Sept 2017, while Switch sold the most units amongst the current generation consoles.
“HW spending in Sept 2017 grew 34% versus YA to $316m. Spending growth was driven by Switch, SNES Classic and PlayStation 4.
“Sony’s PlayStation 4 remains the best selling hardware platform year to date.”
And its likely it could have done even better if Nintendo had more stock available over the past two months.
In the UK the GAME website has been one of the best places to find SNES Classic Mini stock online, with the pint-sized console becoming available earlier today.
However, that restock sold out within a matter of minutes, so fans had to be extremely quick off the mark to bag a SNES Classic Mini.
Nintendo Switch stock has been hard to come by since launch, but GAME doesn’t think it will be an issue this Christmas.
Despite Black Friday sales and new releases like Super Mario Odyssey, GAME CEO Martyn Gibbs believes the Nintendo Switch will be in stock for Christmas.
Gibbs told MCV that new stock has been arriving on a week-by-week basis and that based on current demand, there shouldn’t be any problem getting one for Christmas.
“We’ve got enough Switch coming in on a week-by-week basis, Nintendo needs to take some real credit operationally for how they’ve managed to work this through,” he said.
“We’ve now got a constant supply of stock coming into the business on a weekly basis.
“Don’t get me wrong I don’t have [Distribution Centre] stuffed full of 100,000 units, but we do have a good, regular supply from Nintendo.”
As for Christmas stock, he added: “The only reason that we wouldn’t see [stock] is if demand picks up any further but I wouldn’t see that as a bad thing.”