Ever since its release a couple of years ago, the Nintendo Switch has been unstoppable in terms of sales. It’s sold millions of units during that timeframe, thanks to a powerhouse game line-up. And now, the hybrid handheld console has outsold yet another of Nintendo’s legendary systems as the Switch sales have surpassed the N64.
Based on a report from DualShockers (with numbers from VGChartz), the Switch has managed to outsell the Nintendo 64’s lifetime sales within just over two years of release. For the week ending April 6, more than 200,000 units of the Switch have sold, bringing its total number up to 33.15 million units sold worldwide. That’s more than enough to push it past the N64’s lifetime sales of 32.93 million.
This is the latest console to have its sales fall to Nintendo’s new champ. Previously, it lapped the Wii U’s lifetime sales of 12 million in just about one year of release. And then it beat the GameCube’s lifetime sales shortly thereafter.
So what’s the next milestone then? The Super Nintendo seems to be the most likely target, as it sold more than 49.1 million units during its run back in the ’90s. It may take another few years or so for the Switch to reach that number. But with the promising lineup of games it has – and rumors of a budget model coming soon – it’ll eventually get there.
There has been some talk of the Switch getting some decent announcements around E3. First off, rumors circulated about a potential partnership between Nintendo and Microsoft to bring more games and online features to the system, something signaled by the recent Cuphead Switch port. Then there’s the potential for surprise game reveals, such as the rumored Metroid Prime Trilogy port. Nothing’s set in stone, but Nintendo hasn’t been one to shy away from E3 surprises in the past.