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tak13 on 12 November 2019
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RolStoppable said:
RolStoppable said:
Region Hardware Software Tie Ratio
Japan 10.00m (24.0%) 44.93m (18.3%) 4.49
Americas 16.64m (39.9%) 110.22m (44.8%) 6.62
Europe 10.86m (26.1%) 74.43m (30.3%) 6.85
Other 4.17m (10.0%) 16.43m (6.7%) 3.94
Total 41.67m (100%) 246.01m (100%) 5.90

Switch above, 3DS below. Percentages are rounded, so do not necessarily add up to 100.0%. "Europe" was not its own category during the 3DS era, so it's part of "Other".

Region Hardware Software Tie Ratio
Japan 13.33m (38.1%) 44.84m (36.6%) 3.36
Americas 11.43m (32.7%) 42.81m (35.0%) 3.75
Other 10.22m (29.2%) 34.76m (28.4%) 3.40
Total 34.98m (100%) 122.42m (100%) 3.50

A breakdown to show how different the two systems performed. Switch's global breakdown is a lot more balanced because it's closer to a 20/40/40 split between Japan/Americas/Europe+Other which roughly represents the sizes of those regions. Switch sells a lot more software than the 3DS, not just because of higher hardware sales, hence why tie ratio is an important figure.

Obviously, such comparisons will become increasingly more lopsided in Switch's favor with each passing quarter. The third full fiscal year was the last good one for the 3DS, afterwards it will be a slaughter.

@tak13 The first table is Wii U alone because I had to get the numbers anyway and someone might be interested in such a comparison too. The second table is 3DS and Wii U combined.

Region Hardware Software Tie Ratio
Japan 2.48m (24.8%) 9.97m (16.3%) 4.02
Americas 4.85m (48.5%) 33.65m (55.0%) 6.94
Other 2.68m (26.8%) 17.61m (28.8%) 6.57
Total 10.01m (100%) 61.23m (100%) 6.12

By the way, I quoted my own post because it is the easiest way to have all four tables show up in one post.

Region Hardware Software Tie Ratio
Japan 15.81m (35.1%) 54.81m (29.8%) 3.47
Americas 16.28m (36.2%) 76.46m (41.6%) 4.70
Other 12.90m (28.7%) 52.37m (28.5%) 4.06
Total 44.99m (100%) 183.64m (100%) 4.08

Switch is already far ahead of 3DS+Wii U in terms of software and tie ratio, but still has to make up a bit of ground on hardware. The catch in a launch-aligned comparison of two consoles vs. one is that the two consoles get an early advantage because it isn't uncommon that one and the same person buys two devices as opposed to only one when there is only one console.

Bonus time: Upcoming quarters

Of course we don't only analyze the past, we also have to look into the future. the first 11 fiscal quarters for Switch, 3DS, Wii U, and 3DS+Wii U combined have been covered above, but here's how Switch will take the lead in the last remaining category, the hardware unit sales.

Q12 - 3DS: 7.76m, Wii U: 0.72m, Total: 8.48m.
Switch should have a good holiday quarter (8-9.5m), so the gap can likely be closed a bit.

Q13 - 3DS: 0.59m, Wii U: 1.87m, Total: 2.46m.
Despite this being a holiday quarter for the Wii U, the combined total is a figure that Switch can easily match or exceed from Jan-Mar 2020.

Q14 - 3DS: 0.82m, Wii U: 0.20m, Total: 1.02m.
This is the point where both the 3DS and Wii U have run out of steam and Switch will close the gap fast.

Q15 - 3DS: 1.27m, Wii U: 0.22m, Total: 1.49m.
Jul-Sep 2020 is yet another easy quarter for Switch.

Q16 - 3DS: 4.99m, Wii U: 0.34m, Total: 5.33m.
If it hasn't already happened in one of the previous quarters, this one will absolutely be the one where Switch passes 3DS+Wii U in LTD sales.

From Q13-16, 3DS+Wii U shipped 10.3m. Q13-16 for Switch will be Jan-Dec 2020 and I hope that even the most pessimistic people would put Switch at 15m for that timeframe after a strong 2019, so the current gap of 3.32m through 11 fiscal quarters will be eradicated for sure.

Q13-16 a.k.a. the fourth fiscal year is the final one where 3DS+Wii U exceeded 10m units. The Wii U added only 0.2m more to its lifetime sales afterwards, so it's essentially just the declining 3DS left which stabilized at ~7m per fiscal year for a while. The projected lifetime sales for 3DS+Wii U are 90m, so anyone who doubts that Switch will pass the 100m mark has to take some maths lessons.

So swiitch succeeds in every aspect.

All of the gap against ns, comes from Japan 3ds VS switch.

Thus, NS life emerged, fortunately!

By the way, is NS sales trajectory an indication that  3ds cannibalized wii u?