Switch 2 Breaks Launch Record in Japan, Surpassing PS2

The Nintendo Switch 2 had a record-breaking launch performance in Japan, with 947,931 units sold, according to Famitsu. This number does not include sales data from the My Nintendo Store, suggesting that the actual total may be even higher. The result significantly surpasses the previous console launch record in the country, which belonged to the PlayStation 2 with 630,552 units. To put it into context, the Switch 2 has already sold, in just a few days, approximately 15% of the PlayStation 5's lifetime sales total in Japan.

The flagship launch title, Mario Kart World, boosted software sales, with 782,556 units sold. This number includes copies bundled with the console and individual physical sales, but does not include digital downloads from the Nintendo eShop.

Other launch titles for the Switch 2 did not come close to the sales of Mario Kart World. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Switch 2 version) was the second best-selling, with 10,877 units at retail. Switch 2 versions of well-known titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild also saw modest sales at launch, with 7,992 and 7,529 units, respectively.

Sales Performance: Switch 2 vs. Competition

The dominance of the Switch 2 at launch is not unexpected, as Nintendo had already announced the sale of 3.5 million units globally earlier in the week.

In comparison, the PlayStation 5 had an improved sales week, boosted by Days of Play promotions and State of Play announcements. However, its 20,782 units sold in the period seem insignificant compared to the Switch 2 launch. It is expected that Sony will face a significant challenge in its home region with the strong entry of Nintendo's new console.

The full list of hardware and software sales reveals the landscape of the Japanese market in the week of the Switch 2 launch:

Software Sales:

• [SW2] Mario Kart World (Nintendo, 06/05/25) – 782,566 (New)
• [NSW] Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Marvelous, 06/05/25) – 45,703 (New)
• [NSW] FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time (LEVEL-5, 05/21/25) – 17,180 (111,904 total)
• [NSW] Natsume’s Book of Friends: Hazuki no Shirushi (Bushiroad Games, 06/05/25) – 16,865 (New)
• [PS5] Elden Ring Nightreign (Bandai Namco, 05/30/25) – 12,064 (54,822 total)
• [SW2] Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Marvelous, 06/05/25) – 10,877 (New)
• [SW2] The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – NS2 Edition (Nintendo, 06/05/25) – 7,992 (New)
• [SW2] The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – NS2 Edition (Nintendo, 06/05/25) – 7,529 (New)
• [SW2] Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut (SEGA, 06/05/25) – 7,486 (New)
• [NSW] Super Mario Party Jamboree (Nintendo, 10/17/24) – 6,771 (1,317,174 total)
   

Hardware Sales:

• Switch 2 – 947,931 (New)
• PS5 – 14,535 (5,690,661 total)
• Switch OLED Model – 8,040 (9,060,680 total)
• Switch Lite – 6,089 (6,581,795 total)
• PS5 Pro – 4,230 (218,056 total)
• Switch – 2,482 (20,109,545 total)
• PS5 Digital Edition – 2,017 (974,094 total)
• Xbox Series S – 163 (337,686 total)
• Xbox Series X – 113 (320,660 total)
• Xbox Series X Digital Edition – 57 (20,820 total)
• PS4 – 24 (7,929,628 total)
   

It will be important to observe how the initial success of the Switch 2 will impact support for the PS5 in the Japanese market and how long Nintendo will be able to maintain the momentum of its new console.