Nintendo¡¯s Switch 2 was the best-selling console in the U.S. in March, riding a wave of popularity triggered by the release of surprise hit Pokemon Pokopia.
Americans spent $500 million on gaming?hardware last month, a 69% annual increase, according to market researcher Circana. The Switch 2 led the way, topping hardware sales in both unit and dollar terms, and Pokopia was the primary driver, Circana¡¯s Mat Piscatella said.
Since its debut in June, Nintendo¡¯s new gaming platform has traded places with Sony Group¡¯s PlayStation 5 atop U.S. sales charts. The American market is critical for both Japanese entertainment giants, and Sony¡¯s resurgence in recent months has cast doubt over Nintendo¡¯s ability to sustain the post-launch excitement for the new Switch. The smaller company from Kyoto has kept that momentum going with well-reviewed new titles.
Pokopia, an entry in a budding genre of what are known as cozy games that eschew leaderboards and time pressure ¡ª such as Nintendo¡¯s Animal Crossing ¡ª swept to global success with little expectation ahead of its release.
The game powered Nintendo¡¯s shares to a $14 billion rally in early March, after they had taken a beating due to concern around surging component costs.
Beyond games, Nintendo also enjoyed this year¡¯s biggest cinematic opening with "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," a sequel to its 2023 feature-length Mario adventure. Over the long Easter weekend, it helped set a new all-time revenue record for century-old AMC Entertainment Holdings?and fueled merchandise sales for the timeless Nintendo character.
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