When Nintendo launched Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for Wii U in 2014, the company couldn’t possibly have predicted its longevity. It certainly couldn’t have predicted that nearly a decade later, it would continue to chart in sales data, selling millions of units in Q3 2022 – above and beyond more recent releases. And yet here we are, at the crossroads of another Nintendo financial quarter where Mario Kart 8 Deluxe rules the roost.
According to a new report, there were four key standout games in Q3 2022, the period ending 30 September. Splatoon 3 was the biggest seller of the month, with 7.90 million units sold since its launch on 8 September. Nintendo Switch Sports came up second, with 6.15 million units sold in the quarter, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe next, at 3.07 million units.
Finally, Kirby and the Forgotten Land rounded out the best-selling quartet, with 2.61 million units sold.
According to Nintendo, its total unit sales equate to a 1.6% year-on-year rise for software, up to 95.41 million units. Comparatively, hardware sales are performing at a much slower rate, likely thanks to global economic circumstances and manufacturing delays.
Read: Kirby and the Forgotten Land review – Sweet 3D dreams
Year-on-year, Nintendo hardware sales have fallen by 19.2%, with the biggest drop seen in basic Nintendo Switch consoles. They’re down 65.2% year-on-year – although this is understandable, due to the rising popularity of the superior OLED Model. Year-on-year, this console has sold considerably more, rising 6,211.8% to 3.53 million units sold (from 0.06), as production bottlenecks cleared.
Going forward, it’s likely the OLED Model will become the dominant console to play Nintendo Switch games on. It’s also likely Nintendo will continue to focus on its software output, given steady growth through tough financial times.
The Best Selling Nintendo Switch Games So Far
This Q3 2022 financial data has contributed to the overall sales total of Nintendo Switch games, with the charts now reflecting the all-time popularity of recent releases. While no ‘new’ games have hit the charts just yet, Splatoon 3 will likely edge up the rankings in due course, with Kirby and the Forgotten Land trailing behind.
Here’s the best-selling Nintendo Switch games so far:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 48.41 million units sold
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 40.17 million units sold
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 29.53 million units sold
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 27.79 million units sold
- Pokemon Sword/Shield – 25.37 million units sold
- Super Mario Odyssey – 24.40 million units sold
- Super Mario Part – 18.35 million units sold
- Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl – 14.92 million units sold
- Ring Fit Adventure – 14.87 million units sold
- Pokemon Let’s Go – 14.81 million units sold
Stay tuned for the next Nintendo financial report, which will account for new releases including Bayonetta 3, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Pokemon Scarlet/Violet.
