Nintendo maintains its 21-year lead in physical game sales in Japan, according to Famitsu.
Since the launch of Switch 2, 3.78 million consoles have been sold, making it the fastest-selling console in the country. The original Switch sold 1.52 million, PS5 – 879,000, Xbox Series X/S – 31,200, and PS4 – only 1,100. Sony's console sales continue to decline: in 2024, PS5 sold 1.4 million units compared to 2.6 million in 2023.
Nintendo also leads in game sales: 9 out of the 10 best-selling physical games are for both Switch consoles.
The success of Switch 2 has supported the growth of the Japanese gaming market: revenue increased from ¥301.3 billion (~$2.01 billion) in 2024 to ¥418.1 billion (~$2.79 billion) in 2025, mainly due to hardware sales, which grew from ¥189.4 billion (~$1.26 billion) to ¥282.6 billion (~$1.88 billion).
Top 10 Physical Games in Japan (2025):
- Mario Kart World (Switch 2) – 2,668,381
- Pokémon Legends Z-A (Switch) – 1,529,823
- Pokémon Legends Z-A (Switch 2) – 1,004,154
- Monster Hunter Wilds (PS5) – 838,319
- Super Mario Party Jamboree (Switch) – 498,397
- Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2) – 435,206
- Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2) – 424,837
- Minecraft (Switch) – 346,606
- Mario Kart 7 Deluxe (Switch) – 342,866
- Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake (Switch) – 316,439
