Nintendo may be poised to take the top spot in next year’s console market.

At least, that’s according to research and analytics group Strategy Analytics. In it’s Global Game Console Market Forecast, the firm predicts that the Nintendo Switch will shift 17.3 million units in 2019, compared to 17.1 million PlayStation 4, including the Pro model, consoles and 10 million Xbox One X devices.

Both Sony and Microsoft are hinting towards the end of this generation of hardware, preparing to announce their next moves. Nintendo has been off-beat with this cycle for a while, and the quiet may prove an opportunity to take the top.

However, overall console sales are due to drop by 10 per cent next year.

Consolation prize

Strategy Analytics also claims that, in spite of the rise of mobile, social and alternative forms of play, console gaming isn’t going anywhere.

"Contrary to some expectations, the global TV games console market remains healthy," said Strategy Analytics director David Watkins. "Many pundits have written it off over the years, for reasons ranging from the emergence of cloud gaming to the dominance of mobile devices and the arrival of VR, but it refuses to die.

“In fact, there is an argument that the enduring appeal of the TV games console, now in its sixth decade, continues to demonstrate the weaknesses and limitations of alternative games platforms."