Nintendo Switch Library Triples Size Of Wii U Library In Same Time Span

Switch games have been garnering higher praise from critics and fans, too.

1

It's pretty clear that the Nintendo Switch has been doing well, but it's not always straightforward trying to exemplify the console's success. One way is to look at sales numbers, and from that perspective, the Switch has proven to be fantastically popular. Another way is to look at overall game releases, and in that regard it seems the Switch is again well ahead of the game. In news that likely won't surprise anyone who closely follows the Switch, we've recently learned that the number of games available for Nintendo's hybrid handheld clocks in at over three times the number of titles available for the Wii U in a similar time frame.

The statistics behind this report were first revealed by Kotaku, who looked through data from over 250,000 reviews on Metacritic and compared release count data over a span of 279 days. The findings indicate that by day 279, a date that corresponds with the end of last year, the Switch played host to 191 different games. By comparison, the Wii U only reached that number 857 days into its lifecycle, or close to two-and-a-half years in.

Coincidentally, Kotaku also took the time to look at user and critic interest in Nintendo Switch games when compared to the company's past consoles. In a rather striking reveal, Nintendo Switch games have been much more highly rated than those of both the Wii and the Wii U. Not only that, the Switch has also managed to garner those highly-rated games at a much quicker pace. Check out the stats in the graph below.

To make a long story short, the Switch is the hottest thing Nintendo has produced in a very long time. Players just can't get enough of the system, and there's clear evidence of why — it has an exceptionally large library when compared to past Nintendo consoles, and that library includes a much higher concentration of must-have games. Even more to the point, the Switch keeps getting new releases at a rapid-fire rate — a considerable number of the updates made to our 2018 video game release schedule are made simply to accommodate new Nintendo Switch releases.

There are still plenty of players out in the world who love the Wii U, but now more than ever, it's clear that the Switch improved upon the Wii U in just about every conceivable way. Don't be sad, though, because all of those cozy and familiar Nintendo trappings can be had over on the Switch, and from what can be seen, Nintendo's hybrid console is showing no signs of slowing down.

Guides Editor

Kevin Tucker is a core component of Shacknews' powerful guide development team. For questions, concerns, tips, or to share constructive criticism, he can be reached on Twitter @dukeofgnar or through e-mail at kevin.tucker@shacknews.com.

From The Chatty
Hello, Meet Lola