3DS had a price cut in that period Switch didn't, Switch is a unified userbase 3DS wasn't, Switch has no other competitors in the dedicated portable market while 3DS had Vita whose userbase would have to buy a Switch in order to continue portable gaming. I'd say things point to Switch in the long run beating out 3DS over there.

Switch is not the successor to the 3DS. The big differences are that Switch can function as a home console with multiple users and the higher price point of both software and hardware - double in both cases.

With the 3DS, a handheld, the 25K yen was deemed too high as a value proposition; but 30K yen seems just right for the hybrid Switch console. With handhelds, there’s typically only one user per unit - and you can see how this effects buying habits; despite selling for double the price, and having a significantly smaller user base, Switch software at the end of 2017 exceeded 3DS’s software sales at the end of 2011 in Japan; and that’s not counting the very likely higher digital purchases as well (which numbers we can only really imagine at this point).

This higher software tie-in number is typical of home consoles (with multiple users) - as are the software and console hardware price points. This is why the Switch can’t be considered a successor to the 3DS, it’s a different market.

In other words: the hybrid market the Switch occupies looks much closer to the home console segment in spending habits than the handheld segment.

Technically not entirely accurate as it's a hybrid so a successor to both Wii U and 3DS, I'd argue that right now spending habits are similar to home consoles because the Wii U is defunct while 3DS is still around having a smooth phase out period so a higher ratio of consumers who have an interest in home console gaming are likely purchasing now later on I can see this changing when the 3DS is no longer active and the mass portable migration begins and I'm willing to bet that will begin when Pokemon is nearing.

Their President's statement about having Switch around for longer than usual also indicates this possible approach as they can market the Switch as a platform of home console standing but at the same time handle it like a portable which is the more consistent and stable market.

Wouldn't you say it exceeded software sales at the end of 2017 because it had 4 very desirable titles in that span? Zelda BOTW, Mario Kart 8D, Splatoon 2, and Mario Odyssey, all 4 are stalwart titles. What did the 3DS have in 2011 that compares?

Ah, so Mario Kart and 3D land were in the last few weeks of 2011. Monster Hunter was Japan only. That explains it.

Those 3 games each sold ~1 million in 2011.

It also had some mid-teir titles that sold in the 200-500k range that year like Ocarina of Time 3D, Nintendogs+Cats, Professor Layton Miracle Mask, Inazuma Eleven GO, Pokemon Rumble Blast, One Piece Unlimited Cruise & Samurai Warriors Chronicles.

Explain how switch software outselling 3ds software in the 2nd year? Splat2/SMO/BotW/MK8D are having better legs (much better) than mh3umk7sm3dl despite the latter coming out in nov/dec lol

Monster Hunter released December 10. Only half of the 2 million LTD were sold in Japan in 2011.

Mario Kart 7 on 3DS released December 4. Only 1/3 of of the 3 million LTD were sold in Japan in 2011.

Super Mario 3D Land released November 13. Only half of the 2 million LTD were sold in Japan in 2011.

So, if your argument was that Switch software in 2017 outsold 3DS software in 2011 implies a higher attach rate in Japan, I'd say it's more likely because the big mega titles were released at the very end of 2011 for the 3DS, whereas for the Switch it had its mega titles release throughout the whole year.

I'd like to see software comparison numbers on the Switch's first quarter of 2018 compared with the 3DS' first quarter of 2012. I expect the latter to absolutely blow the former out of the water.

You do realize this site has weekly sales data from those times that easily accessible, look through them.

So the 3DS quadruples the software sales of the Switch for that comparison. Thank you for that.