Animal Crossing: New Horizons enjoyed a huge debut in the US, according to data released on Tuesday by the NPD Group.
The Switch exclusive recorded the third-biggest launch month (physical sales) of any game published byNintendoin the market research firm’s tracking history. NPD began tracking software sales in the 1990s.
Only December 2018’sSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateand March 2008’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl achieved higher physical software sales in their launch months.
NPD Grouptracks digital sales from most major publishers but Nintendo is one exception.
New Horizons is already the best-selling game in franchise history in the US, reports NPD, with dollar sales topping the lifetime sales of all other Animal Crossing titles combined.
It’s currently the second best-selling game of 2020 year to date behindCall of Duty: Modern Warfare.
New Horizons helpedNintendo Switchhardware sales more than double compared to March 2019, with the platform setting a new all-time record for hardware unit sales in a March month, overtaking the one it previously set when it launched in March 2017.
Switch has now also achieved the strongest first quarter unit sales of any platform since theNintendo DSin 2010.
SonyandMicrosofthave also benefitted from an increase in sales following the introduction of social isolation measures designed to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The NPD Group saidPS4andXbox Onesales in March were both up by more than 25 percent compared to a year ago, ending a long-running decline in current generation sales ahead of the launch ofPS5andXbox Series Xduring the 2020 holiday season.
New Horizons, which released in late March alongside aspecial edition versionof the flagship Switch console and a newcoral coloured Switch Lite, also achieved record launch sales for a Switch game in boththe UKand Japan.
On Tuesday Nintendo confirmednew features coming to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including the addition of an art gallery.
VGC’sAnimal Crossing: New Horizons reviewsays the “comforting life sim is a tranquil haven at a time the world needs it most”.
