| Machina said: Lots of variables that will end up changing the figure of course, but Switch on its current trajectory is heading for just under 3.3-3.4 million for the year. That would be its lowest total (alongside the one for its first full year on the market), but still a remarkably high figure for a platform in its 7th year. The DS, which is currently the best-selling platform in Japan, managed around 2.9 million in its 7th year for comparison. |
If you look at it that way, then the DS's first year has consisted of only one month: December 2004. This in turn means that the DS sold 2.9m during the timespan from 5 years, 1 month old to 6 years, 1 month old. Not exactly the best comparison to Switch's timespan of 5 years, 10 months old to 6 years, 10 months old.
While still not perfect, it would be more appropriate to compare Switch's 2023 to the DS's 2011 which gives only a slight disadvantage to the DS instead of a big disadvantage to Switch in your proposed comparison. The DS sold 650k in 2011 which is a figure that Switch will likely eclipse by the end of week 10 of 2023. It goes to show how the launch of a successor or lack thereof influences a sales curve.
In the perfectly launch-aligned comparison that VGC posts every month, we are only a few months away from Switch starting to catch up rapidly to the DS's lifetime total. Switch's March 2023 vs. the DS's December 2010 will be the final strong competition for Switch. Still, the DS has built quite a lead in lifetime sales up to this point, so in case that Switch eventually surpasses the DS, it can happen in the second half of 2024 at the earliest.
Legend11 correctly predicted that GTA IV will outsell Super Smash Bros. Brawl. I was wrong.
