Nintendo Switch Dominates Japanese Sales Charts | Image Source: nintendoeverything.com
TOKYO, Japan, 26 December 2024 - Famitsu’s latest sales data highlight Nintendo’s continuing field in the Japanese gaming market, with the Nintendo Switch console family surpassing competitors by a significant margin during the week of December 16-22, 2024. The report highlights the strong hardware and software performance of the game giant.
Switch OLED Leads Equipment sales
According to Famitsu, the Nintendo Switch OLED model maintained its advantage in hardware sales, moving 55,544 units last week. This marks a slight decrease in sales compared to the previous week of 56,127 units, but remains firmly ahead of competitors. The Switch Lite also achieved impressive performance, selling 34,542 units, a notable increase from 25,627 units the previous week. The original Nintendo Switch model sold 14,065 units, which rounded the company’s robust sales performance.
Meanwhile, Sony’s PlayStation 5 family, which includes PS5, PS5 Pro and PS5 Digital Edition standards, sold collectively 24,650 units, with the PS5 standard contributing the most to 15,213 units. The recently released PS5 Pro has 5,358 units, while the digital version only sold 4,079 units. Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles have been delayed, the Xbox Series X Digital Edition leading its alignment in 2,893 units, and the Xbox Series S system with only 216 units sold.
Nintendo population
Nintendo also dominated software sales graphics, with the top ten selling games exclusively with titles for the Switch. The leader was Super Mario Party Jamboree, who sold 133,542 units last week, bringing his total life to 835,085 units. The game was a massive success, reflecting the lasting appeal of the Mario franchise during the holiday season.
Another notable entry was Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, securing second place with 38,088 units sold, pushing its sales for life about 900,000. Long-term favourites such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Minecraft held third and fourth positions, with weekly sales of 24,019 and 23,131 units respectively. Its continued presence in the graphics underscores its status as perennial titles for the platform.
Other standout performers include Mario & Luigi: Fraternity, sells 22,237 units, and Super Smash Bros. Finally, he administered 18,178 units for the week. The most recent installation of the Zelda series, Zelda: Ecos of Wisdom, continued to attract attention, adding 18,145 units to its total of 356,613. In addition, Animal Crossing: New Horizon remained a strong competitor with 15,536 units sold, maintaining its sales for life above 8 million.
PS5 and Xbox Struggle for market share
Despite the release of PlayStation 5 Pro, Sony’s performance in Japan remains surpassed by Nintendo. The PS5 Pro sold 5,358 units, down slightly from 5,504 the previous week. Similarly, PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition standards grew modestly weekly, but did not match Nintendo figures. Xbox Microsoft consoles continued to fight, with combined sales of less than 3,500 units for all X and S models.
These trends reflect a long-standing preference among Japanese players for Nintendo’s portable and family systems, which have consistently surpassed Sony and Microsoft’s consoles. The versatility of Switch as a hybrid system and its extensive library of exclusive games have greatly contributed to its popularity in the region.
Boost Holidays for Nintendo
The holiday season has traditionally been a critical time for sales of consoles and games, and Nintendo once again took advantage of this opportunity. The strong performance of the OLED Switch and the popularity of its exclusive titles demonstrate the company’s ability to serve various audiences, from families to hardcore players. According to Famitsu, this trend will probably continue in the new year, with games launches and high-profile promotional campaigns leading to increased demand.
In addition, the appeal of multiplayer games is concentrated like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Finally, and Nintendo Switch Sports made the Switch a popular choice for meetings and parties during the holiday season. This social aspect, combined with a constant stream of new versions, guarantees the sustainable relevance of the platform.
On the other hand, Sony and Microsoft face challenges to gain traction in the Japanese game market. While Sony PlayStation 5 continues to experience global success, its performances in Japan underscore the need for localized strategies and exclusive content adapted to Japanese players.
In the future, the competitive landscape can change as new hardware iterations and software launches enter the market. For the moment, however, the Nintendo rule seems unwavering, with the Switch firmly rooted as an electoral console in Japan.
As Famitsu said, the long-lasting popularity of Nintendo’s hardware and software highlights the outstanding understanding of the market and the company’s ability to innovate, strengthening its position as a leader in the gaming industry.
