Nintendo Switch 2 Helped the Japanese Gaming Market Grow by 138.8% in 2025
Japanese consumers still show a clear preference for Nintendo platforms.
The Japanese gaming market in 2025 showed a year-on-year growth of 138.8%, reaching a volume of 4181.3 billion yen (approximately $2.64 billion at the current exchange rate).
Despite the fact that in the US and Europe, the Nintendo Switch 2 in December 2025 lagged behind the first Switch in terms of sales at the start, the situation in Japan is radically different. The new hybrid console significantly outperforms the original Switch's performance in the first year of its presence in Nintendo's home market. Switch 2 has become a key driver of growth for the entire market, ensuring a sharp increase in hardware sales.
The original Nintendo Switch continues to show good results even years after its release and against the backdrop of competition from its own successor: in 2025, 1.52 million units were sold, which exceeded PS5 sales in Japan for the same period.
Nintendo exclusives lead the top-selling physical games of 2025:
- Mario Kart World — 2.668 million copies (including versions for Switch and Switch 2)
- Pokémon Legends: Z-A — 2.534 million copies.
