Along with recaps for the year that was 2022.
NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella posted the monthly sales survey from the group this morning which also included yearly insights, and hey - Nintendo had a pretty good year.
All monthly data based on dollar sales from November 27 - December 31, 2022 unless noted. Third party digital sales are included where applicable.
December 2022
The Switch was the top seller by units in December - though no hardware numbers were given, aside from hardware being up 18% year over year due to increases in PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series supply. PlayStation 5 ($399/$499) was the top dollar sale, with the Switch ($199/$299/$349) taking the silver medal in that race.
Nintendo did not have any new retail releases in December, but their November release still went great guns. Pokemon Scarlet and Violet combined as the second best selling game of the month without digital sales, trailing only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's remake. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe drove home in 9th, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate placed 15th, Nintendo Switch Sports (a $40 US game) scored 16th, Animal Crossing: New Horizons placed 18th, and Splatoon 3 finished off the Nintendo-published entries. Third parties on Switch were led by the embattled Sonic Frontiers in 6th, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion debuted in 10th ($50 release), NBA 2k23 placed 11th, Just Dance 2023 12th, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope 13th, and Minecraft 14th.
The top 10 games on Switch this month:
- Pokemon Scarlet / Violet
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Ubisoft)
- Just Dance 2023 (Ubisoft)
- Sonic Frontiers (Sega)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Nintendo Switch Sports
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- Splatoon 3
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
All Of 2022
For the year, the Switch was the top selling hardware in the country by units with the PlayStation 5 leading the dollar race - the same as the standings in December. The Switch has been the top selling hardware in the United States (by units) every year since it launched.
For software, the runaway success of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet propelled it to a 6th place finish in the annual chart, trailing in order: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 remake, Elden Ring, Madden NFL 23, God of War: Ragnarok, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Other Nintendo titles in the top 20 were Pokemon Legends: Arceus (8th), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (11th), Kirby and the Forgotten Land (14th), Nintendo Switch Sports (19th), and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (20th). Joining Lego Star Wars in the top 20 from 3rd parties are FIFA 23 (7th), MLB The Show 22 (10th), NBA 2k23 (15th), Sonic Frontiers (16th), and Minecraft (18th).
The ten best selling games of the year for Switch:
- Pokemon Scarlet / Violet
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land
- Nintendo Switch Sports
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (WB Interactive)
- Mario Party Superstars
- Splatoon 3
