Animal Crossing: New Horizons continues to take the world by storm, becoming the fastest ever game to reach six million physical sales in Japan's history.
You may have spotted New Horizons' latest lifetime total in our Japanese chart round-up yesterday; the game sold another 37,290 physical copies in the region last week, taking its grand total to 6,011,308. Of course, if digital sales were also included, that figure would be significantly higher.
According to figures shared by Games Data Library, only five games have ever reached six million physical sales in Japan, with New Super Mario Bros. being the most recent. New Horizons has managed to reach the six million mark in just eight months; the previous record was held by Pokémon Gold and Silver, which reportedly achieved the same sales in 13 months.
Will Animal Crossing overtake Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the best-selling Switch game of all time? It's certainly looking possible.
[source twitter.com, via gonintendo.com]
Comments (21)
Is there anything left to say about this game?
It probably did even beyond Nintendo's expectations.
This will probably be a one time only for Animal Crossing.
I can’t possibly see how a next installment will reach this massive number of sales.
I really should get back to my island.
@Friendly
Why? New Leaf also did very well if I remember correctly.
@lighteningbolt79 True, but not these heights.
The circumstances were just perfect for this type of game, I think. And a next installment, will it have the same newness / appeal as this one? Hard to reach I'd say.
But we'll see
@lighteningbolt79 New Leaf sold ~13mio copies in 8 years, New Horizons sold ~26mio copies in 6 months (till september 30th)
Little bit of a difference
@mariomaster96
That doesn't mean the New Leaf sales were bad.
@lighteningbolt79 No one said New Leaf sales were bad. They're just not as good as New Horizons. Coming in 2nd isn't bad. New Horizons has smashed so many sales records it is hard to see the next one selling more and as quickly. Unless it has more than one island per console!
@Enigk
Okay? Never said 2nd was bad?
@lighteningbolt79 never said that NL sold bad, 13mio units is incredibly good
But it's also not nearly as good as NH
@Enigk
If there is more then one island per console, sales will decline.
A lot of people don't need a second version any more.
Not a fan of one island per console, but it's a working business strategy.
Almost related. Haven't been playing daily any longer after 8 straight months, still 2 or 3 times a week, but the Turkey Day celebration yesterday was fun. Finally had a use for those creatures I've been getting diving. I had everything I needed in storage, or villagers gave to me, except for 1 mackerel, which took me 3 tries to catch.

Really should have taken a pic at night when I was done and all the meals were glowy. Oh well, maybe next year.
The gifts were meh though, wallpaper, floor, chair, wheat?
"Of course, if digital sales were also included, that figure would be significantly higher."
Eh, game is already the best selling in Japan history with more than 8,5 millions units sold. Craziest thing it's just about to have its first holyday sales period.
"Psychical media is dead"
Ha!
I don't think anyone is suggesting New Horizons is a better game than New Leaf, I love both of them to bits, but New Horizons sales are insane.
@JRRR92 Many of those saying so are playing the Big Lie game - repeat something preposterous often enough, etc. etc.
Well deserved, however I feel like the game is still mostly just a solid foundation with too small and too infrequent updates that build on top of it. If they wait too long for big DLC a lot of these people will have moved on.
@SuperCharlie78 I never really thought of it that way, hopefully a lot of people will be finding New Horizons under their trees this holiday!
Another reason why this game should be raking in Game of the Year awards. The Last of Us could never.
@rjejr There were more stuff. Did you not give him the secret ingredients for each meal?
If you gave it for all of them he would also give you a bunch of Turkey Day DIY
@NorseGamerTommy Oh yeah, forgot about the DYI stuff, with which I made way better stuff than the stuff he gave us. That big table was great for displaying my bug collection. The hearth he gave us was actually cool, forgot about that. Good point, thanks for the reminder.
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