Both the Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation 4 are closing in on massive sales landmarks, but neither can hold a candle to June 2018’s best-selling console… The Nintendo Entertainment System.
Yes, the highly-sought-after NES Classic Mini was the top US unit shifter during June, despite only returning to stores with a couple of days left in the month. NPD says the PS4 led the way in revenue, but the retro-flavoured console brought a Nintendo Entertainment System to the top of the monthly chart for the first time since the industry group began tracking sales 23 years ago.
The demand for the console is understandable considering it was initially discontinued by Nintendo ahead of the SNES Classic launch. That had forced the secondary market price way up as nostalgic gamers rushed to re-play the likes of Super Mario Bros., Metroid, Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Pac-Man, and the 25 other games built into the palm-sized console.
US NPD HW – The NES Classic was June 2018's highest unit-selling hardware platform, while the PlayStation 4 led the market in dollar sales. This is the first time a Nintendo Entertainment System console has led in monthly unit sales since NPD tracking began in 1995.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) August 1, 2018
Word comes via NPD’s Mat Piscatella (via The Verge), who broke down the situation in an illuminating Twitter thread packed with good news for the gaming industry. There was also a boost for Microsoft, with the dollar value of its console sales up 50% compared to last year. The higher-priced Xbox One X probably has something to do with that. Switch sales also jumped 50% compared with June 2017, according to NPD, proving there’s no sign of the hybrid console’s momentum slowing following the original rush to obtain it.
Related: N64 Classic Mini latest
The Switch itself is rapidly closing in on 20 million unit sales overall, and may have already surpassed the figure already. Meanwhile, at 82.2 million sales, the PS4 is on the verge of surpassing the lifetime PS3 sales, which were clocked at 83 million.
Have you managed to snag an NES classic since it returned to shelves? Are you holding out hope for an N64 Classic? Share your thoughts with us @TrustedReviews on Twitter
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.