If you were concerned about Nintendo Switch's impressive sprint out of the gates since March 3rd falling off a cliff shortly thereafter, it seems there's no need to be – not yet anyway. According to the latest data from NPD Group (and confirmed by Nintendo itself), both Switch and its biggest releases Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild continue to perform admirably.
Nintendo managed to top both the hardware and software charts for April, with its Switch hybrid selling over 280,000 units and netting the top spot for best-selling video game hardware. April marks the new console's second month in a row doing so. This was, of course, largely thanks to software releases for the system during the same period, during which Mario Kart 8 Deluxe racked up 460,000 in physical sales, ballooning to 550,000 with digital sales factored in. The numbers are impressive already, but consider this: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe did not launch until April 28th, and NPD's reporting cutoff date was April 29th. In other words, it managed its numbers in just two days.
Nintendo's other heavy hitter, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, kept its sales run going, charting at number three for April and utilizing the entire month rather than two days. Solid performance is likely to continue for the game, as more content and DLC is planned in the coming months, not to mention its status as something of a must-buy with Switch hardware. Its 100% attach rate has surely dissipated by now, but that doesn't mean attachment isn't still quite high.
Nintendo's plan with Switch was always to consolidate development resources for a steady stream of high-quality first party releases, and so far the company's scheme appears to be working. In theory, it should be able to continue its winning streak with such a strategy going forward, but Switch also competes in a very unpredictable industry. For now, however, its clear Nintendo is enjoying its view from the top.
