Switch vs Wii Sales Comparison – Switch Lead Tops 5M in January 2021 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 16 February 2021 / 4,685 Views
The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales comparison using our estimated video game hardware figures. The charts include comparisons between the 7th generation and 8th generation platforms, as well as comparisons within the 8th generation. There are articles based on our worldwide estimates, as well as the US, Europe, and Japan.
This monthly series compares the aligned worldwide sales of the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Wii.
Switch Vs. Wii Global:
Gap change in latest month: 952,370 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 8,140,817 - Switch
Total Lead: 5,454,542 - Switch
Switch Total Sales: 78,631,440
Wii Total Sales: 73,176,898
January 2021 is the 47th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the Switch has grown its lead by 952,370 units when compared to the launch aligned sales of the Wii. In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the Wii by 8.14 million units. The Switch is currently ahead of the Wii by 5.45 million units.
The Wii launched in November 2006, while the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017. Therefore, the holiday periods for the two consoles do not lineup, which is why there are big increases and decreases.
The 47th month for the Nintendo Switch is January 2021 and for the Wii it is September 2010. The Switch has sold 78.63 million units, while the Wii sold 73.18 million units during the same timeframe. The Wii sold current Switch sales in month 50.
The Wii sold 101.63 million units worldwide during its lifetime. The Switch needs to sell another 23.00 million units to outsell the Wii.
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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So, overcoming the Wii is now a mather of "how soon it will happen". That's nice and well deserved.
I'm starting to doubt that the Wii will even take the lead from the next holiday. I had assumed it would one more time. However, it's going to be close due to the switch's current trajectory.
Edit:But the switch will possibly overtake the Wii by the end of December 2021. Nintendo's numbers are very likely to show more shipped by then.
Switch needs roughly 3.5 million units within the next 3 months to keep the lead after Wii 2010 holiday season. It is 13 weeks, so Switch needs an average of 270k/week. Should be rather easy as long as Nintendo can deliver enough Switches. ;)
Switch isn't looking back anymore
That's gonna be a tight race for who's gonna be on top at the end of the Wii's holiday period.
Of course, the Switch will take the lead afterwards and never look back, but that point will be the last one in this race which will be really contested.
When was it that the Wii numbers fell off a cliff?
by the end of its 4th year I think
So basically when X-Box came out with the Kinnect. Interesting. So as long as there's no direct Switch competitor, it should be good.
The Wii started to get less exclusives from Nintendo later in it's life. That was the biggest reason for this.
Wii has a small chance of a re-cross for short period of time.
