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Nintendo's latest console will sell more units in a year than its predecessor, the Wii U, sold in more than five.

This is according to Nintendo's latest estimates, which predicts 14 million Switch units being sold before the end of March 2018. The Wii U only managed to sell 13.56 million units in its entire five year run.

While Nintendo experimented with the "second screen" format with the Wii U, it was never a huge success following the wildly popular Wii. With the Switch, Nintendo decided to, to want a better phrase, switch it up by introducing a hybrid console that bridges the divide between portable and home gaming. The Switch can be used as a standalone portable console, but when placed in the supplied dock, can be used like any home console.

The Switch also included an innovative controller that can be taken out and used for portable multi-player gaming on just the one console, something that hasn't been possible with portable consoles before.

The success of the Switch has allowed Nintendo to double its profit forecast for the fiscal year ending in March, and has allowed it to dominate console sales in North America and other regions.

The major obstacle in Nintendo's way in trying to reach the 14 million unit target may be lack of available stock, as production has only just been ramped up to meet the demand. The holiday sales period, the strongest sales period for video games, will also test both the console's popularity as well as Nintendo's ability to keep up with the demand.

"The true power of the Switch would be tested during the upcoming holiday season," said Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima during an earnings briefing.

[via BGR]