Nintendo Switch was the top-selling console in July

While all gaming hardware saw a significant jump in sales during the pandemic, that has come to an end for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. These aging consoles were already on the way out, and U.S. consumers are once again bypassing them in favor of the Switch. Nintendo’s hybrid home/handheld device launched in 2017, and it’s in its prime. It’s also catching on more with wider audiences that are showing up for Animal Crossing: New Horizons or for a number of other family-friendly releases. That led Switch to outsell its competition once again in July, according to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group.

“Nintendo Switch was once again the best-selling hardware platform of both July and 2020 year-to-date in unit and dollar sales,” NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said. “Hardware spending declined 2% in July 2020 when compared to a year ago, to $166 million. Year-to-date spending has increased 22% compared to a year ago, to $1.8 billion.”