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Famitsu: Nintendo Switch passes 20M units sold in Japan, 5th system to reach that milestone

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Zedark

Zedark

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Oct 25, 2017
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Announced via a report by Famitsu: 20,018,278 units sold in total, of which 16,168,420 units for the flagship model and 3,849,858 units for the Lite model.

The top five best-selling systems of all time in Japan:

  1. Nintendo DS - 32,990,000
  2. Nintendo Gameboy + Color - 32,470,000
  3. Nintendo 3DS - 25,260,000
  4. Playstation 2 - 21,454,325
  5. Nintendo Switch - 20,018,278
All numbers except Switch are shipments, but for ancient systems, the difference between shipped and sold is not relevant.

Switch took 4 years and 14 weeks to get there. The other platforms took:

Nintendo DS - 2 years and 50 weeks
Nintendo Gameboy - UNKNOWN (roughly 9 years)
Nintendo 3DS - 4 years and 45 weeks
Playstation 2 - 6 years and 49 weeks

(I had to do some digging, so my weeks might be one or so off if I made an error somewhere)

Great milestone for the Switch, and it's still trucking along. Top 3 ranking is basically certain, and it has a shot at becoming the number 1 system of all time in Japan.
 
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Menx64

Menx64

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Oct 30, 2017
5,774
Nintendo DS - 2 years and 50 weeks wow what beast.


Deserved milestone, the switch is an amazing console/portable.
 
More statistics for the Japanese hardware market
  • Index
    • hiska-kun

    hiska-kun

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    Oct 26, 2017
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    It took 222 weeks. Fastest system after NDS:

    2021-06-02-9-53-58.jpg


    NDS is the best selling system with 32,864,126 units according to Famitsu. It follows the Game Boy (including Color) with 32,430,000 units.
    Then the rest is like the graph:

    2021-06-02-9-52-59.jpg
     
  • Index
    • VermillionA

    VermillionA

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    Jan 29, 2019
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    Obviously Switch numbers insane but WHAT THE FUCK at those DS ones. 2 years and 50 weeks???? And those LTD figures. Bruhhhhh.
     
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    Zedark

    Zedark

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    hiska-kun said:
    It took 222 weeks. Fastest system after NDS:

    2021-06-02-9-53-58.jpg


    NDS is the best selling system with 32,864,126 units according to Famitsu. It follows the Game Boy (including Color) with 32,430,000 units.
    Then the rest is like the graph:

    2021-06-02-9-52-59.jpg
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Thanks! I've threadmarked your post. Do you happen to know the number of weeks it took the GB+GBC to hit 20M? I've not been able to find weekly or even yearly numbers for those systems.
     
    rAndom

    rAndom

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    By the end of this year it will surely be close to top 3. Year on year, it should already overtake 3DS.

    It's really crazy to think that another dedicated gaming device can do this much, and really has a great chance of reaching 30M, given the pessimism about the video games market in Japan several years ago.
     

    Deleted member 10737

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    from the same report, top 5 best selling Switch games in Japan (physical only):

    1. Animal Crossing New Horizons (6.78m)
    2. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (4.29m)
    3. Pokemon Sw/Sh (4.05m)
    4. Splatoon 2 (3.87m)
    5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (3.84m)
     

    Deleted member 55822

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    Wow. I did not realized the DS reach the 20 million milestone THAT fast.

    Anyway, great success for the Switch!
     

    ArcaneStar_

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    Sep 14, 2018
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    Zedark said:
    Switch took 4 years and 11 weeks to get there. The other platforms took:

    Nintendo DS - 2 years and 50 weeks
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Sometimes I forget how much of a giant beast the DS was and every time I see things like these I get surprised all over again

    DS was a monster

    Edit: Man, Switch might even surpass DS and Gameboy+Color when it's all said and done, that's surreal
     
    Last edited:
    K Samedi

    K Samedi

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    Only 13 million to catch up with the DS and clearly with how it is selling and this new revision it will easily pass it.
     
    xyla

    xyla

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    Wait, 3DS managed to sell 25 million after all? In the media create thread it's always at 24 something... Where's that discrepancy coming from?
     
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    Zedark

    Zedark

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    xyla said:
    Wait, 3DS managed to sell 25 million after all? In the media create thread it's always at 24 something... Where's that discrepancy coming from?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Not all shops are tracked, including Amazon Japan and also the Nintendo online shop. That can cause a discrepancy, which should explain the several 100k difference here I think. Switch has something similar, with shipment number consistently exceeding the sell-through numbers (which is partially stock on shelves and partially sales from untracked sellers).
     
    Ninferno

    Ninferno

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    The DS was launched in Japan for JP¥ 15,000 on December 2, 2004 .
    The Switch was launched in Japan for JP¥ 29,980 on March 3, 2017 .

    Not sure if pricing is an important point to consider, but just stating some facts.
     
    xyla

    xyla

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    Zedark said:
    Not all shops are tracked, including Amazon Japan and also the Nintendo online shop. That can cause a discrepancy, which should explain the several 100k difference here I think. Switch has something similar, with shipment number consistently exceeding the sell-through numbers (which is partially stock on shelves and partially sales from untracked sellers).
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Ah, I see - thanks!
     
    Oregano

    Oregano

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    This is very impressive, especially considering it looks like Switch still has a lot left in the tank.

    rAndom said:
    By the end of this year it will surely be close to top 3. Year on year, it should already overtake 3DS.

    It's really crazy to think that another dedicated gaming device can do this much, and really has a great chance of reaching 30M, given the pessimism about the video games market in Japan several years ago.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    That "pessimism" still persists because when people talk about the decline of the video games market in Japan they are almost exclusively talking about PlayStation.
     
    Tbone5189

    Tbone5189

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    Halfway to 40mil!!!


    rAndom said:
    By the end of this year it will surely be close to top 3. Year on year, it should already overtake 3DS.

    It's really crazy to think that another dedicated gaming device can do this much, and really has a great chance of reaching 30M, given the pessimism about the video games market in Japan several years ago.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It's guaranteed to surpsss 30mil, it'll overtake 3DS in shipments by end of this year. Then after that, even with off the cliff drops it's hitting 30mil... 40mil time!

    Rodrigues solitaire said:
    As expected of the market leader.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    is this a meme now??? I can't tell!!!

    K Samedi said:
    Only 13 million to catch up with the DS and clearly with how it is selling and this new revision it will easily pass it.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    this one gets it
     
    PillFencer

    PillFencer

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    Including My Nintendo Store sales, the Switch is on track to surpass the 3DS lifetime unit sales this calendar year and the DS in 2023.

    Zedark said:
    Thanks! I've threadmarked your post. Do you happen to know the number of weeks it took the GB+GBC to hit 20M? I've not been able to find weekly or even yearly numbers for those systems.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Around 9 years.
     
    sfortunato

    sfortunato

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    Switch sales curve is nothing like ever seen for a Nintendo platform. In Japan, its fifth year in the market will likely be its best-selling one or the second best-selling one... While typically Nintendo platforms start really well during the first years and then constantly drop.

    Ninferno said:
    Not sure if pricing is an important point to consider, but just stating some facts.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    It is definitely a factor. Installed base is not the only measure to assess a product's commercial performance. We know, for example, that Switch has always been sold at a margin, unlike 3DS which was sold at a loss after its first price-cut and at least until 3DS XL released. We also know that the Switch software is selling a lot (and at a higher price than previous handheld consoles). Plus, digital is a thing and there margins are higher for Nintendo. In addition, accessories are much more relevant for Switch than for DS (just think of Joy-cons), which is another big source of revenues.

    Even if Switch won't reach DS hardware numbers, I do think its ecosystem will be much more successful in the end.
     
    Raijinto

    Raijinto

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    But seriously this is a great milestone to hit, and at a great time to ahead of the New Switch Pro/Plus/whatever even being announced. I can remember back to around this time in 2018 when the system was selling around 40/50k weekly IIRC and it was a bit of a slog until Smash and the Christmas period that year really kickstarted the splendid success that this system has had since. Add to that the Lite, Pokemon and of course Animal Crossing and Monster Hunter in consecutive years and Nintendo have done very well to broden the appeal of the system these last few years.

    There was a divide as well i think between those who thought that the Switch could sell more than the 3DS back then, considering launch alligned comparisons were not at all favourable to the Switch once the 3DS got its price salshed. Now it's pretty clear it'll pass it by the end of this year.
     
    Kouriozan

    Kouriozan

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    I remember when the Switch story was exhausted bexause it failed to reach 20M that one FY lmao.
    It can do 30M LTD easily with that kind of momentum.
     
    Dr. Mario

    Dr. Mario

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    This is honestly not that impressive. Once everyone who bought a DS is now done buying their Switch, sales are going to fall off a cliff.
     
    Tbone5189

    Tbone5189

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    PillFencer said:
    Including My Nintendo Store sales, the Switch is on track to surpass the 3DS lifetime unit sales this calendar year and the DS in 2023.


    Around 9 years.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Yeap, maybe even as early as end of Q1 2023......... but that's a huge maybe!

    Dr. Mario said:
    This is honestly not that impressive. Once everyone who bought a DS is now done buying their Switch, sales are going to fall off a cliff.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    We all have been preparing for this cliff for years, I'm ready
     
    el jacko

    el jacko

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    I had no idea the PSP outsold the Wii. Not my expectation at all.

    Speaks to the size of the portables market in Japan...
     
    Advance.Wars.Sgt.

    Advance.Wars.Sgt.

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    Ninferno said:
    The DS was launched in Japan for JP¥ 15,000 on December 2, 2004 .
    The Switch was launched in Japan for JP¥ 29,980 on March 3, 2017 .

    Not sure if pricing is an important point to consider, but just stating some facts.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    If low price was the key differentiator then the preceding GBA and OGGB/GBP/GBC should've easily attained the same sell rate as the DS.

    Obviously that's not the case, so there are other factors besides price which vaulted the DS to an unprecedented sales stratosphere.
     

    Celine

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    Zedark said:
    Do you happen to know the number of weeks it took the GB+GBC to hit 20M? I've not been able to find weekly or even yearly numbers for those systems.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    GB cumulative shipments in Japan surpassed 20M units in the fiscal year ending March 1999 (LTD up to that point in time: 23.97M).
    The console was already close to 20M in the fiscal year ending March 1998 (LTD up to that point in time: 19.24M) so it's likely it happened in the first half of the fiscal year ending March 1999, that is sometime in 1998 (9 years and something after launch).
     
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    Amin_Parker

    Amin_Parker

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    Congratulations is in order. Job well done Nintendo. I'm happy to see that the console has reached 20 million units sold. Now it is just 10 million units left until they reach 30 million. Which should be very easy to do in Japan if they release a mid generation upgrade system that will be able to get more High demanding graphically intense games on the console. This has been a wonderful generation for Nintendo. I would say this is their dream generation. Once again, I want to say congratulations to you Nintendo on this amazing achievement.
     
    Ballerman

    Ballerman

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    Advance.Wars.Sgt. said:
    If low price was the key differentiator then the preceding GBA and OGGB/GBP/GBC should've easily attained the same sell rate as the DS.

    Obviously that's not the case, so there are other factors besides price which vaulted the DS to an unprecedented sales stratosphere.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    there definitely are, though it's still a factor. what's surprising though is Switch Lite still consistently sells a lot less in Japan than the standard despite being notable cheaper and fitting that 'portable' mold which Japan is the biggest fan of.
     
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