'Fortnite' Has Been Downloaded on "Nearly Half" of All Nintendo Switch Consoles

Fortnite's success has continued on the Nintendo Switch with the battle royale game being downloaded on "nearly half" of all Switch consoles according to Nintendo.

GameSpot reported on Nintendo's earnings report that was recently released, and the video game company divulged some information about the console's success and how Fortnite has performed on it. Within Nintendo's report, the company revealed that Fortnite statistic and highlighted the game's ability to be played on the go, a first for the console edition of the game.

"Distribution of the Nintendo Switch version of Fortnite Battle Royale from Epic Games began during E3 this past June, and since then it has shown up everywhere, not just in the US and Europe but also in Japan," Nintendo's earning report states. "It has gained so much momentum that it has been downloaded to nearly half of all Nintendo Switch systems worldwide. Many people continue to play the game, boosting the overall utilization ratio of Nintendo Switch. Nintendo Switch is unique in that people can bring their consoles with them so they can communicate while playing at a friend's house or elsewhere."

The GameSpot report cites a statistic that said there's been 22.86 million Switch consoles sold so far, with that number accurate as of the end of September, which means that there are roughly 11 million Switch consoles with Fortnite installed on them.

Fortnite was announced for the Nintendo Switch months ago during Nintendo's E3 presentation in June, an announcement that seemed almost certain considering how successful the game had been elsewhere. Listings and other leaks also pointed towards a Nintendo Switch release with the game being launched the same day that it was announced.

The game also bypassed issues people had with the Switch's voice chat since it allowed for a native voice chat feature between players, something that predictably led to the best and worst voice chat scenarios. After Nintendo's online subscription that's simply called Nintendo Switch Online was announced, Fortnite was also among the games that didn't require the subscription to be played online, a pass that made sure those who already had the game or planned on getting it could keep playing without needing to pay for the service. After cross-play was enabled between different companies' platforms, it also be came possible to link Fortnite accounts between consoles to ensure that Switch players could stay on that device without losing all their progress made on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or elsewhere.