Wii U didn't sell much. That the console has been largely surpassed by the Nintendo Switch is not a state secret, but Reggie Fils-Aime wanted to add how the success of the hybrid console was decisive for the company it represented.
Former COO Nintendo appeared during the New York Game Awards on Twitch (spoiler: Hades won), stating how it was the worst-selling platform second only to Virtual Boy, a 3 1995D devilry innovative for the times, but which was withdrawn from the market a year later.
The launch took place during the Fils-Aime stint, which recalled those times as the "most indelible of my experience with Nintendo", and in a previous interview on the subject went further by explaining how the failure of the Wii U led directly to the creation of the Nintendo Switch. After all, the Switch was born above the rubble of the Wii U, evolving the concept of the GamePad and other aspects. Nintendo Switch has thus become a make it or break it product, which is fundamental for the recovery of the company as a hardware manufacturer.
Since the numbers are worth a thousand words, the Wii U has sold 12 million in its entire life cycle, while the Nintendo Switch is well over 55 million and continues to wreak havoc, even surpassing the sales of the Nintendo 3DS.
