The Nintendo Switch has once again obtained a new milestone. The console juggernaut had already been on what many consider to be one of the greatest selling streaks in video game history, only being recently usurped by the PlayStation5 as the fastest-selling hardware platform in US history. Despite this, the Switch continues to be the bread maker for Nintendo, which was emphasized by new report from Japanese publication Famitsu, where they reported that the Switch has now sold more than 25 million units in the country. According to the video game statistician Daniel Ahmad, this along with surpassing the 3DS in sales, makes the Nintendo Switch the third-best-selling console in Japan’s history.
As you can see in the tweet above, the Switch’s lifetime sales numbers are quickly approaching the two consoles that are currently above it on the list. Interestingly enough, those two systems are handhelds, the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS, which have sold more than 32.4 and 32.9 million units across Japan respectively. It’s also important to note that the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS both released in their native country on April 21, 1989, and November 21, 2004. That’s a fairly big difference between their respective launch dates and today. The Nintendo Switch in comparison launch on March 3, 2017, a little more than five years ago, and it’s already on track to surpass the Game Boy and Nintendo DS’s sales numbers. This is a huge testament to the popularity and insane demand of the Switch.
This meteoric rise isn’t exclusive to Japan either. The Switch has also been a monster hit in the US, which was further noted when the system became the fourth most-sold console of all time in the country. It also helps that the Nintendo Switch has impressive library to boot, some of which have sold an astronomical amount like the unstoppable juggernaut that is Animal Crossing New Horizon which has sold more than 7.26 million units, and way more than that world wide. As we already stated, we wouldn’t be surprised if/when the Switch eventually takes over and becomes Japan’s best-selling console of all time, and with more titles on the way, the likelihood of that happening soon is very high.