Switch vs 3DS – VGChartz Gap Charts – May 2018 Update - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 01 July 2018 / 3,819 Views
The VGChartz Gap charts are updated monthly and each article focuses on a different gap chart. The charts include comparisons between the 7th generation and 8th generation platforms, as well as comparisons within the 8th generation. All sales are worldwide, unless otherwise stated.
Switch Vs. 3DS Global:
Gap change in latest month: 172,041 – Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 184,097 - Switch
Total Lead: 1,102,764 – Switch
Switch Total Sales: 17,333,798
3DS Total Sales: 16,231,034
May 2018 is the 15th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 172,041 units when compared to the 3DS during the same timeframe and by 184,097 units in the last 12 months. The Switch is currently ahead of the 3DS by 1.10 million units.
The 3DS launched in February 2011 (however, 3DS sales have been aligned to March 2011, since it only launched at the end of February in Japan), while the Nintendo Switch launched worldwide in March 2017. The Switch has sold 17.33 million units, while the 3DS sold 16.23 million units during the same timeframe.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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Considering that for the 3DS, its first year was its peak year, and Nintendo's projections come true, Switch will easily beat 3DS at the same time, next year. Not to mention that we're yet to see revisions, price cuts and some huge titles. I wouldn't be surprised if Switch reach 100M figure in its lifetime.
3DS price cut is over and holidays are synchronized for these two. And going into the second year Switch show slightly better momentum. If everything goes right, it looks like it will match 3DS numbers at least, everything points towards Switch keeping above the 3DS-sales line. On the other hand, more interesting would be if Switch can take off and leave 3DS behind. We'll see after Pokemon and Smash.
This is the most interesting chart overall, regarding Switch. I still don’t see a reason why Switch won’t steadily fall off like 3DS did, despite its excellent first couple years. Switch will do PS360 numbers.
3DS had a $80 price cut in its first year and a XL edition in its second year, that's why it sold so well. Switch doesn't have those things going for it and yet its still ahead of 3DS. Switch will sell over 100 million.
We’ll see. You can’t ignore the fact that Switch has had a far better first year for games than 3DS did. I doubt price will play any role here, as in the vast majority of the people who are interested in Switch haven’t been, nor will be, swayed away by its price tag. 3DS has pretty much every major Nintendo IP under the sun, so why did it fall off so much? The Switch lifetime sales will be far more about it’s software than its price.
Not so much tbh switch is still having a better momentum with a big droughts of games when the 3DS had a huge price cut and big games. Switch is a lot more expensive too and can for that fact live longer with deals and future price cut. I dont think there is a chance Switch will do 3DS numbers, it barely started and will have a much better support from Nintendo and third party compare to the 3DS that got washed out to save the U and then washed out to prepare the Switch.
If we would leave out Japan, the lead of the Switch would already be close to 5 million. Switch is much more popular in the west than the 3DS ever was. 3DS sold better in Japan early on but the Switch is been selling much betterin Europe, the US and the RoW even after the 3DS got a quarter of it's price cut in one go.
The 3DS had its lunch eaten by smartphone gaming starting in around 2014. I am not sure that the Switch is going to have that same problem, even if smartphones keep getting more powerful, the docking concept is really something that sets the Switch apart from anything else in the market.
Ya i think 3DS having a price cut and revision in the first 1.5 years caused it to be front loaded, yearly shipments.
Year 1-13.51m
Year 2-13.95m
Year 3-12.24m
Year 4-8.73m
Year 5-6.79m
Year 6-7.27m
Year 7-6.40m
Switch not getting a price cut or revision in the first two years can potentially help it have a later peak (year 3) and a softer decline (year 4).
For example, lets say Nintendo releases some type of $199 Switch Mini & $299 Switch Pro in 2019, that could potentially make 2019/2020 be the peak years for Switch.
