Despite all the woes of 2020, Nintendo has had a remarkable year and on the console front, made waves across the globe. Switch became the UK's best-selling console by far and it took the lead in China's market, as well as overtaking 3DS lifetime sales at 76.2 million units.
Nintendo coming out on top in Japan was no surprise and according to Famitsu/Kadokawa, the 6 million consoles sold last year accounted for 87% of Japan's console market (thanks, Gamesindustry.biz). The Switch's nearest rival, Sony's PlayStation 4, only managed 542k console sales in the same period.
Furthermore, this data revealed that Nintendo games accounted for nearly 50% of all physical sales in Japan too, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons reaching 6.3 million physical sales alone and Ring Fit Adventure at 1.59 million. Konami's Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa Heisei Reiwa mo Teiban! was the only other title to exceed 1 million physical units.
With two next-gen consoles now in play, whether Nintendo can sustain this market hold in 2021 remains to be seen.
Did you buy a Switch last year? Do you think Nintendo can fend off the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S? Let us know below.
[source gamesindustry.biz, via famitsu.com]
Comments 49
With only 12 Xbox consoles selling in Japan a week ...
I guess Japan gamers switch to Nintendo.
leaves
I think the saturation point hasn't been met.
If 2021 is full of brand new games, I think it will surpass 2020.
They didn't even have a price drop yet.
@ZeldaNX with games like MH Rise and the next TWEWY coming to Switch, it's fair to assert Switch will still sell well in Japan for a while.
In other words, I agree.
Sells are just gonna keep coming with MHR since that's always a hit on nintendo consoles and the rumored Pokemon remakes for this year
But when is the direct. I'm starving for Ninty news
Nintendo reckon 7 more years. They have a roadmap. This console hasn't peaked yet (according to their projections). Remember kids, software sells consoles. The more eclectic the choice, the more players there will be.
2020 had Animal Crossing sure. But 2021 can beat 2020 with multiple games. Whether by design or otherwise, I'm sure games have been delayed to this year (an important one for next gen so software is even more key!). Yet to be seen how 2021 plays out (let's face it, it's not off to a great start) but Animal Crossing will still remain relevant as will all their ever green software. Ever green software that is diverse. Not just generic game with different settings that appeals to the same demographic. Switch is a gem
And the beast Monster Hunter is waiting to be released. 2021 will be equally impressive for Nintendo. I bought my Switch last year and hardly turn on my tv since.
What is this, the 80s again?
@MegaMari0 We can only hope so!
Imagine if they released a Switch mini. Who wouldn’t buy it again?
I wonder what the official numbers for the last three months will be. I can't wait to find out. It has probably reached the 80 millions units sold by now...
Here in UK it flys off the shelf’s when in stock.
I have just preordered the red/blue edition with 3D world. You cannot find a switch at the minute at normal retailer at normal price.
Though Nintendo do seem to drop stock to retailers better than MICROSOFT AND SONY are doing at the minute.
I think 2021 is going to be a weird year for Japan games. Final Fantasy XVI is supposedly coming out during this year for PS5 and Bravely Default II for Switch . Given FFVII: Remake did under 1 million physical sales on PS4 with the series in decline and the west not really making up for what they've lost in Japan.
Will Bravely Default II or Final Fantasy XVI sell more in Japan? Will the lower budget game bring in more profit than the massive mainline entry?
@GrailUK,
I know what you are saying but 2020 was a massive year for Switch sales despite stock shortages and not as many games as usual. To the potential Switch owners there is four years worth of games.
@johnvboy Not trying to take anything away from 2020 at all
"But the Switch isn't a console." — some people for some reason
@johnvboy That logic doesn't apply to people posting in here. People buying a Switch now have nothing to play. Anything prior to them buying a Switch doesn't exist or is past its sell by date. 2021 is barren so new Switch owners are walking into a drought.
I would hate to be a Switch naysayer right now lol.
@JimmySpades Oh that old chestnut as well. "Switch sales figures should only be compared to handhelds!", then in the same breath "The Switch Lite sales shouldn't be counted alongside the Switch!"
And just imagine what 2021 could be.
If Nintendo drop Bayonetta 3 and BOTW2 and maybe a new Mario platform game.
@Tyranexx When it does well, they lash out at the lack of power or the lack of big "AAA" games. Like Cyberpunk. Yeah we really missed out on that.
@GrailUK,
To be honest I was not suggesting you were, and I agreed with most of your comment.
It's just when people that have owned the Switch since launch complain there are no games, this is true for them, but makes no impact on the millions of potential Switch customers.
@WiltonRoots,
Well the Switch figures can be compared to consoles as long as they are poor, once they start to get to impressive numbers they should only be compared the handheld consoles
Wait are you saying the lifetime sales are now greater than 76.2m?
“Switch became the UK's best-selling console by far and it took the lead in China's market, as well as overtaking 3DS lifetime sales at 76.2 million units”
In Japan at least it's like it was for Nintendo back in the '80s and '90s where it basically ruled the gaming landscape and completely dominated the competition.
Very upset with Nintendo's poor performance, they need to knuckle down and regain that lost 13%.
@WiltonRoots I wonder if the people constantly pointing out the games Switch-only owners are missing out on also point out to PS#-only owners all the games they're missing out on. (No I don't.)
Anything less than 100% of the market is a commercial failure. Analysts were dead right about the switch being stillborn.
@ZeldaNX I think MH Rise is enough to suggest 2021 Switch sales in Japan will be higher than 2020 Switch sales in Japan. It's the first handheld MH in 4 years (Japan got MHXX on 3DS and Switch in 2017).
It’s impressive numbers, especially considering that 2020 was a rather meh yeah in terms of new games for the Switch.
That said, if they didn’t beat the PS4 in its final year of sales as current gen, it would be quite disappointing. Doubt PS5 will pick up enough momentum to surpass in 2021, especially since they can’t make them fast enough, so confident Nintendo will rule 2021 as well.
But I wonder if they can keep up the momentum into 2022, unless they have a better game year in 2021 vs 2020.
87% of japanese Market share and nearly 50% in software, that impressive, this will silence all haters that stated Switch is gonna be Wii U 2.0(Nintendo is gonna be bankrupt or turn third party 2.0)if Nintendo managed to release Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, Super Mario Odyssey 2 or a brand new 3D Mario game, the rumored 2D Metroid game that continues the Metroid Fusion history, along side hugely antecipated third party games such as Monster Hunter Rise and others, Nintendo is gonna reach world domination with the Switch
The reason for this isn't because Nintendo are doing better than they normally do. They always do well in Japan.
It's because Sony have almost given up on the Japanese market.
The lower price point has been advantageous for Nintendo during the pandemic. More family marketed games probably helps, with families staying in during quarantine.
@WiltonRoots You're wrong. The legs of the many Switch evergreen show that.
@Grumblevolcano That ain't enough. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the best selling game of all time in Japan going at 12mil lifetime. Thankfully there are way more other games to help 2021 be stronger.
@Dr_Lugae
Where did you get that info about FF VII rmk?
On the first 3 days alone, it sold 3,5 M worldwide, 700k in Japan alone.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VII_Remake
"Final Fantasy VII Remake sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide within three days.[126] This made it one of the biggest launches for a PlayStation 4 game and the fastest-selling PS4 exclusive, surpassing the launch sales of Marvel's Spider-Man (3.3 million; 2018) and God of War (3.1 million; 2018).[127][128] As of August 2020, Final Fantasy VII Remake has sold over 5 million units worldwide.[129]
In Japan, Final Fantasy VII Remake was the best-selling retail game during its first week of release, selling 702,853 physical copies in its first weekend,[130] with the game sold out in many stores.[131] Including digital copies, it exceeded 1 million sales in Japan within three days of release.[132]"
As much as I'd like it to flop on PS4 so they'd be forced to port it to Switch, I'm not sure that was the case
@WiltonRoots I still don't understand how such equations work in the heads of some people. Personally, I play a variety of games to have fun. I think calling a game "bad" because it isn't up to par with the latest and greatest modern technology is very shortsighted.
@BTB20 Multiple already existing Switch games haven't peaked yet like MK8 Deluxe sold more copies in 2020 than in any other year.
@Tyranexx No amount of raytracing or horsepower can suddenly make a bad game play better.
Nintendo to Sony and Microsoft: BOW BEFORE ME..!!
@WiltonRoots All flash and no substance in cases like that.
I've been thinking about this and Sony's lack of attempt on the Japanese Market may have long term negative consequences for Nintendo.
Nintendo have always and will always concentrate on making games that appeal to their own market first, their own market is their priority.
With Sony slowly fading into obscurity in Japan, will this mean Nintendo may not try as hard? I hope not but it's always a problem when one company has a monopoly in one region.
They get complacent, as a Nintendo fan, there's one thing i know about Nintendo... they suffer from complacency way too often.
@Razer Didn't Nintendo dominate Japan with the NES and SNES? I understood Sega did much better in the West than Japan. It didn't really affect their games quality.
PlayStation has definitely become too Americanised. It's part of the reason I lost interest in it. It's too similar to Xbox now. Shame really, I was a big fan of the PS1 and PS2 back in the day.
@Clyde_Radcliffe I feel exactly the same about PlayStation. I especially liked the Japanese mid section between AAA and indie where there were tons of unique experiences to be found. Also all of the JRPGs. Today it's just competing with Xbox in the grayest game and most teraflops categories with just a few interesting AAA titles.
As for Nintendo's competition in Japan back in the days, NEC and Hudson Soft's PC Engine was slightly bigger of a threat compared to SEGA.
@Clyde_Radcliffe Yes they did dominate Japan during the NES and SNES lifetimes but consider this:
Would the SNES be as good as it was if it didn't have competition from the Genesis (Megadrive here)?
I doubt it, I'm not saying Nintendo wouldn't have delivered some great experiences but i doubt Nintendo would have tried so hard if it was just them and nobody else.
Competition is important because it means the consumer gets more choices and because those companies are competing, the products will be better too.
Alot of NintenDoomed still to this DAY fails to understand this and still fails to make the same conclusion time and time again.
@yuwarite Difference is Minecraft is universally accepted as a great game, hence why it's selling so much. Add that polish to a great game? Yep it makes it much better. Add raytracing to a glitchy broken game? Makes no difference whatsoever, it's crap but now it's shinier.
@Razer I think Nintendo's compliancy has many roots. Their ability to bring in ports at full price. AC and MK8D are paying the bills. Why release new games? While I get the business aspect of it, it is frustrating to loyal fans.
@NinChocolate cough (points at the Switch Lite) that's the smaller Switch
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