The Nintendo Switch is off to a good start, this much is clear. It's flying off the shelves, buoyed by both the strange magic of the easy to use, simple hardware platform and the effects of launching with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most well-reviewed games of all time. The Switch has also been a bright spot in an earnings report for GameStop, according to a recent investor call. During that investor call, GameStop also reminded us of the single strangest statistic from these early days of the Nintendo Switch: namely, that the retailer has sold more copies of Breath of the Wild than the Switch itself, suggesting that there are games out there in the world just waiting for the hardware they need to light up. Somewhat poignant, really.
We've heard it from Nintendo before, but it's still striking to consider. It speaks not only to the supply constrained Nintendo Switch, but also the intense dedication of Zelda fans and the near-universal praise for Breath of the Wild. For some, I'm sure it's a kind of economic decision: they've got the money to buy the game now, so cross that one off and start saving for the Switch in hopes it comes back in stock soon. For others, it seems to be a more emotional, anticipatory decision: paying some money upfront for the ability to hold in your hands what people are calling the greatest Zelda game ever, even if you can't play it. It also might mean that some fans bought both the regular and collector's edition of the game. It's a feat, no matter why it's happening. A 1:1 attach rate for a game not bundled with every single new console is unheard of, let alone anything above 1.
The fact that this is coming from GameStop and not Nintendo means that people might have bought the game there after purchasing the console elsewhere, but it also means that there must have been at least some people who bought the console with the intention of buying the game on Nintendo's eShop. I'm calling those two things a wash and still indicating that there are more copies of Breath of the Wild being sold than there are Switches. It also speaks to the continuing supply shortage of the Nintendo Switch, which remains out of stock on pretty much all major online storefront, and seems to sell out instantly when new stock arrives at physical retailers. There must be people out there who, still failing to get their hands on a console, keep deciding to at least grab a game to keep the dream alive.
Let's hope these numbers at least even out sometime soon. For the time being, Nintendo seems to be able to sell as many Switches as it can make.

Source: Forbes