There's the idea that "Software sells hardware." If there's a certain app you want or need strongly enough, you'll buy whatever device that's required for its usage. If you want to play PC games, you buy a PC instead of a Mac for example. Want to play Mario or Zelda? You must buy a Nintendo device. Many folks prefer Apple's software operating system or Mac-only apps like Final Cut Pro, so they buy a Mac instead of a PC. But sometimes it goes the other way: hardware sells software.
Reading hardware
I like Apple hardware and software. For example, the company has a very nice app, Apple Books, for buying and reading eBooks. And of course, Apple makes great tablets on which you can read those books. But as good as an iPad is, it doesn't beat an eInk device when it comes to long-form digital reading, at least not for me.
My Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is a fantastic single-purpose device for eReading; I love it. It's small, lightweight, has forever-battery life, and a wonderful eInk display, which is my favorite feature. Amazon makes the hardware (and makes it more affordable than a typical Apple device, which helps). Amazon also makes the software and eBook store on its Kindle - the whole reading widget!
In the past, I idealistically tried switching from Kindle to only read via Apple Books, kicking my Kindle to the curb. Leaning into minimalism, I liked the idea of having one less device. Why read on Kindle when my iPad is "good enough?" Well, because neither my iPhone nor my iPad were good enough for reading long books (or if they were, I was already spoiled by Amazon's eReader). The Kindle experience, reading on a small, lightweight, everlasting, marvelous eInk display, is far greater than on any other device.
It was the Kindle's eInk display that sold me years ago. In turn, that hardware tech has sold me a lot of software books over the years. An eInk display, and the whole Kindle package, are a good example of hardware selling software.
Gaming hardware
When Sony or Microsoft announce an upcoming console generation, the companies will typically cite target specs of the hardware. More advanced game machines often impress with huge numbers that quantify greater capabilities. The same applies in PC gaming. Take an RTX graphics card from Nvidia that can perform ray-tracing. That is impressive hardware. Many gamers who learn about such new hardware are eager to buy it despite not having played any games on it. They know the kind of games that'll run on such hardware will be better in some ways. Of course, buying the hardware means also buying the games when they arrive on the market. Trusting technical advancements in a console to unleash better gaming experiences is another example of hardware selling software.
Nintendo advances hardware to sell new games for each console generation too. But it competes differently. Instead of raw power, Nintendo innovates with new gameplay mechanics enabled by unique hardware. With the N64, it was the analog joystick. With the Wii, it was motion controls. And with the Switch, it was the simple fact players could switch between console and handheld mode easily. The Switch's hardware has sold many units, which in turn has sold a lot of game software.
Summary
Hardware and software go hand in hand; one sells the other. Sometimes it's the software that attracts buyers, which leads to the purchase of necessary accompanying hardware. Other times though, it's the hardware itself that compels consumers, leading to software sales.
Computers might be tough examples of what matters more, the hardware or the software, since they're multi-purpose devices. But single-purpose gadgets like the Nintendo Switch or Amazon Kindle seem a bit easier to grasp. They're dedicated and purposeful hardware designs, tailor made for the one thing they excel at, gaming or reading.