Nintendo Switch Has Now Sold 4 Million Units In Japan

Wii who?

That really is bloody impressive. Here's hoping the momentum continues!

So what’s the current overall sales at the moment? As in roughly?

Wow... Looks like the Switch will easily overtake the Gamecube's lifetime sales within this year. I wonder if it can overtake the N64's lifetime sales by March 2019...

Think I read somewhere that it took the Wii 54 weeks to get to 4 million and it’s taken the switch 56 weeks. So very impressive sales by Nintendo to get anywhere near those Wii numbers. Hope it continues

I wouldn't be surprised if Japan's Switch sales overtake Wii U's global lifetime sales at some point.

@-DG yeah think the GameCube sold around 22 million(which is criminally low considering how good that machine was), the switch will pass that this year for sure.

They deserve every last bit of success for this one that's for sure.

Now let's hope this finally wakes up some of those Japanese companies that remain sceptical on the system...

@-DG Well if Nintendo's sales predictions are correct it will have sold over 35 million by March next year. I expect once Labo releases next month sales will go through the roof. Maybe passing GameCube's lifetime sales by the time E3 arrives.

And Animal Crossing wasn't even announced yet...

There are more Labo like reveals to come.... 😊

Teaching here in Japan I can tell you, everyone of my students knows about the Switch, many of them have one, of those who don't most fall into the "I would like one" to "I really want one" range. Those students who have zero interest in the Switch usually have zero interest in gaming in general.

It also blows their mind to hear their English teacher has a Switch. Of course it also shocks them to learn that yes, teachers also eat, use the bathroom and have friends. We too are human. lol

Still got some way to go to beat the 3DS, which hit 5m in the first 52 weeks in Japan. However, that had the benefit of a price cut and fewer problems with supply. Go Switch!

Wow and here I was saying Nintendo couldn't get 20 mil. Way to go. I still think they'll stumble at 17-18 before the end of the fiscal year

1. Animal Crossing Switch
2. Pokemon Switch
3. Metroid Prime 4
4. Smash Bros 5

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = BOOOOOMMM.....!!!

I think the Switch can reach 20 million next fiscal year if Labo is a hit and they release one or two more big hitters like Pokemon and Mario Maker 2.

And we've still got a MonHun game (western XX or otherwise) in the future!

The Switch will absolutely break 20 million worldwide this fiscal year. No doubt on my mind there. Good to see it doing so well!

@Zenarium That will certainly shift a few lol.
Really happy about this, if slightly surprised of the worldwide sales as it is quite an investment.
Go! Go! Nintendo!!!

Maybe ... maybe not. They will definitely have sold a total over 20 million by December this year though!

And here I am, just curious as to how the usual suspects will spin this into a negative... I think it's sometimes brilliant how creative they can be! That's not to say we as customers shouldn't expect more from our products and that Nintendo is exempt from any criticism, but to consider the Switch as anything but a success is down right silly.
They might disagree with decisions made by Nintendo, but there's no denying that apparently everything's panning out

PSP was huge hit in Japan. It sold over 20 million units.(many of those thanks to monster hunter series). PS2 sold 23 million, PS3 12,4. PS4 just 6.5 million so far in Japan. If Switch had Monster Hunter World it would be game over.

Squeenix might wanna hurry up with that dq xi.

@OorWullie you think Labo will shift consoles? Hadn’t thought about that but you might be right. May be the push some parents need to justify buying a switch for their kids and home. Like those micro computers in the past that we all said was for homework but was just for games. Labo is artistic and creative so the same excuse could be said when all they really want is mario Kart

@SomeWriter13
Indeed so long as it is tailor made for the switch. From personal experience it is silly to wish for a world port as it barely does well with the PSBox one. Plus it desperately needs an endgame that is better fleshed out. It would be a good base, gameplay wise, to start from.The quality of life aspects are quite nice.

The Japanese market is irrelevant. Well according to some of our fantastic resident pundits it is.

@Zenarium I cant wait for Animal Crossing on Switch!! And we're clearly not alone to think that. All the Switch will be sold out.

So if it was at 3,407,158 on Jan 1. And now at 4,037,144 on march 27.

That is 629,986 a quarter or about 210k a month. They need an uptic in sales soon or they won't meet last years 10 month total in 12 months at this rate. They will be short by 927,000... holydays probably can even that. But that is just to hit the same as 2017.

This also shows how much they really need the markets in the West if they want to hit 20 million in a year.

@roboshort They'll hit 20 million by this December at the latest even if LABO bombs. EASY with Smash.

@Agramonte Sales leveled out during the Monster Hunter World release, then started upticking again around Kirby. Surprised they sold that many with such little in their release window after the holiday season.

@Dang69 yep... It is all about software. Why they were also outsold in the USA in February. Moving forward the Switch has something fresh every month.

Like you said - already improving with Kirby. That will help for a bit longer also.

So the Switch is very much looking like it could hit 20 million this year. Whether it does or not, it can't be contested that its doing incredibly well and the momentum it's gained from just a port-happy library (as Im sure some people would just love to point out) is phenomenal. In fact, all it needs to do is keep up this same kind of momentum and it'll definitely be on track to beat the Wii's 100 million in about five years or so. Not to mention Pokemon and Smash hasn't even launched yet.

Is there still really any doubt in people's minds that Switch can surpass the Wii? I believe around several months ago, certain people called the very thought 'laughable'. Care to admit you were wrong?

Now I find it hard to believe the Switch not selling 20 million units.

@ThatNyteDaez I think it could surpass the Wii, but only if, in every year of it's lifespan there's at least 2 GOTY contending monster exclusives. Last year BotW and Mario, this year if Smash is a new version and the (probable) Pokemon game does something new and exciting with it's gameplay in the way Zelda or Mario tweaked the formula; next year, an incredibly strong Animal Crossing (like new leaf but console-sized), Prime 4 with online and a big 3rd party exclusive could do the trick, etc, something along those lines.

Not bad for (little bit over) one year.

The Switch will outsell the Wii in Japan. I'd be shocked if it didn't.

But Wii sales weren't very impressive in Japan. Sales were ridiculously frontloaded.

@westman98 Wii also wasn't portable and succeeding for two devices. Since it looks that way for Switch, overall sales could be higher than Wii's.

Lol and thats even before we have seen any smashbros gameplay trailer, or pokemon for switch, or metroid etc.
if they show any of those, people will stand in line again. And we have switch shortages all over lol.

If they can master a Monster Hunter game for the Switch, Nintendo will rule Japan again.

As long as EA sports and CoD is not on Switch it wont hurt Sony's dominance in Europe and US. xbox on the other hand...

@The-Chosen-one I may be wrong, but I feel like the kinds of people that would "stand in line" for those games already have a switch.

Needs more games. I've been steadily working through my Christmas backlog. All I got is Xenoblade left and Zelda DLC

Wait until Pokemon gets announced

@Hamguar I agree! I was arguing on another article here that MHW really isn't for us Switch users, and we're better off with an entirely new Switch-tailored game, anyway.
Since the original leaker of MHW information also mentioned Capcom was working simultaneously on such a game, I'm hopeful we'll get our own MH game maybe next year.

In the meantime I'm spending the interim playing Attack on Titan.

@mj2k18
I don't think so. There's a lot of people who are all about just smash and just Pokemon. Not sure it's enough to "sell out" but it will definitely help sell a lot of hardware. I would bet big money on it.

@Anti-Matter If we get all 4 of those games this year I would be in heaven and we'd have Switch stock shortages again.

The Switch is going to steamroll the PS4 in Japan pretty soon. Time for the Japanese third parties to start seriously giving consideration to the Switch. Aside from Monster Hunter World and Final Fantasy, the major outliers, only a few Japanese games break 1-2 mil worldwide on PS4, but not often, and they don't sell for squat on the Xbox One. The Switch may not be completely up to par from the hardware standpoint but it's still plenty capable for the types of games most Japanese devs put out. It's time some (SquareEnix in particular) start thinking a little bit different about their strategy.

@Pineapple_Mohawk The loudest of those has been strangely silent lately... Almost makes me think a banhammer fell on their heads, which saddens me. The comments section is much less entertaining

@0muros Nintendo is waiting for the perfect moment to announce Animal Crossing. When that happens, the Internet may even break xD I am a big fan of the PixelGum TV streams on Twitch, we talk about AC almost every day there. One of the hosts is an hardcore fan of the series. If you have the time, go there tonight and ask about AC, you will see how much we love to talk about it there! http://pixelgum.tv/gaming/about/

@DABYX This means many things, being one that companies will invest more in making great games for the Switch

@Zenarium Hey, thanks for the link, its seems really nice. I will check it out. 👍
And yeah, Nintendo really calculate all his moves. Their IP are just so nice!

An awesome feat if you ask me! I haven't loved a Nintendo console this much since the Nintendo 3DS was released.

@Zenarium
I forgot when did Nintendo announce Animal Crossing New Leaf for 3DS ?
I'm sure Animal Crossing for Switch follow the pattern of ACNL 3DS.

@Mr_Pepperami
@sillygostly

Yes, very impressive indeed since the Wii was even bought by non-gamers. Everybody and their mom had one because motion (for the first time) with Wii sports.

@Anti-Matter They announced it at E3 2010 and it didn't come out in the States until June 2013.... Ugh! I'm so glad Nintendo doesn't tease us like that anymore! (It came out in Japan in November 2012.)

@Anti-Matter I don't remember either. I suspect they will announce it on E3.

@Anti-Matter for sure!

Got me thinking though, stuff like Labo and the wii balance board would take it to new markets and new heights.

I wonder if you would be able to take just a Joy con out when running and come back to get cool stats etc...? Non traditional non gaming type stuff....not my thing but the mass market loves fitness stuff

@KIRO they could easily put out a pedometer like they did with the Pokémon games that would sync up with the switch and add to whatever games they wanted.