For the first time in nearly three years, the Nintendo Switch wasn’t the best-selling console in the US. In September, that distinction went to Sony’s PlayStation 5 instead. In a tweet spotted by GamesRadar, NDP analyst Mat Piscatella said the PS5 outsold Nintendo’s portable last month both in terms of unit volume and dollar amount, thereby ending the Switch’s impressive 33-month streak as the best-selling console in the US. The last time the Nintendo Switch wasn’t at the top of the sales charts was back in November 2018 when the PS4 held that position.
US NPD HW – September 2021 snaps the remarkable 33 consecutive month streak that Nintendo Switch was the market's leading platform in hardware unit sales. November 2018 was the last month a platform other than Nintendo Switch led the market in unit sales (PlayStation 4).
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) October 18, 2021
Piscatella didn’t say what helped push the PS5 past the Switch, but a variety of factors likely contributed to the shift. With 10 million units sold in only eight months, demand for Sony’s console has always been there, but ongoing global chip shortages have made it difficult for the company to maintain a steady supply of consoles. On Nintendo’s side, the announcement of the OLED Switch, which only became available at the start of October, likely meant some consumers decided to wait on buying the portable. Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if the Switch can reclaim the top spot. Demand for the PS5 isn’t likely to cool down anytime soon, but the chip shortage isn’t expected to resolve anytime soon either.