It seems Nintendo has once again vastly underestimated the demand for their new consoles - if their recently updated Switch sales targets are anything to go by. While the company initially aimed for 10 million Switch units sold prior to the device's first birthday, that target has been increased to 14 million units following rave reviews and widespread consumer demand.
The Nintendo Switch has managed to sell roughly 8 million units thus far, putting it on track to sell more units in its first year than Nintendo's previous console – the under performing Wii U – sold over its entire lifespan. Indeed, over the course of five years Nintendo only managed to sell 13.5 million Wii U consoles in total.
Despite how popular their devices tend to be, Nintendo has consistently failed to keep up with consumer demand. The NES Classic, SNES Classic and the Nintendo Switch itself have all had significant stock problems upon their launch.
The Nintendo Switch has been so popular that many consumers have still been unable to get their hands on one - unless they choose to turn to the many exorbitantly-priced units being sold on Ebay and Amazon by "scalpers."
However, Nintendo is eager to rectify the Switch's inventory issues before Christmas. According to a recent Reuters report, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima said the following at an earnings briefing:
"We've boosted Switch production to meet strong demand as it was difficult for customers to buy the consoles at retail stores... The true power of the switch [will] be tested during the upcoming holiday season."
Although the Switch is widely seen as a solid console by itself, it's likely that the device's game library – specifically the likes of Splatoon 2, Breath of the Wild and the now-released Super Mario Odyssey – has ultimately driven a large portion of the console's sales. With third-party developers like Bethesda opting to release their best-selling titles on the platform in the near future, Switch sales numbers will likely increase even more in the coming years.