Nintendo Switch passes the sales of PS4 in Japan

[D.Lo]

Regardless of being a portable or not the biggest factor in the success of the Switch is Nintendo's own software.

They sell almost literally 10 times as much software as Bandai Namco, the second biggest publisher in Japan.

They have several IPs that are bigger than Monster Hunter and Dragon Quest.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but to what extent is that because the other franchises are held back by being on less successful hardware?
What if Japanese devs released their biggest and best games on the actual winning hardware (DS, 3DS and now Switch)? Eg, the highest selling Dragon Quest is on DS. The last time they focused their prime efforts on the system that was actually winning was the PS2.

 

[vivftp]

Well Sony, you know what you have to do now...

:P

Click to shrink...

A PS5 Portable will come, I can feel it in my bones. It's either that or diarrhea, I dunno but I feel something! 😃

 

[WestEgg]

Switch really is perfect for Nintendo and Japan loves their portable consoles. Also the price difference probably helped a lot. BotW and Splatoon are 2 of the greatest games this gen. Well done! I don't think it will pass PS4 WW sales but we'll see. Also, PS4 could take the lead back with FF7R later this year. That game is going to sell PS4s in Japan big time.

Click to shrink...

I think FF7R will do well, but if it comes out this year, it will be competing with Gen 8 Pokémon and Animal Crossing, which are bigger hardware movers.

 

[Andri]

Talent just Wins.

Kinda impressive it did so well without the usual Big Nintendo Hits (New Pokemon gen, Animal Crossing) and essentially no Third Party games.

The only surprising thing here is that it didn't happen earlier. PlayStation is console gaming but it won't appeal to every market and Japan is very unique that it has Nintendo put an disproportionally high focus on it. After the PS3 and Vita it was only a question of time before it would become a secondary market for Sony.

Click to shrink...

But Playstation got all the big hitters in Japan from Third party, from MHW to the Mainline FF and KH games.
The only games that are popular in Japan that PS4 didnt get are Nintendo games.

And Nintendo didnt really put disproportionally big focus on Japan, besides Splatoon none of their currently released franchises are the breakout megafranchises japan loves(they all seem to come this year though, with DQ11, New Pokemon gen, Yokai, Animal Crossing).

 

[Toni]

PS4 doesn't have record selling pace. The Wii and especially DS sold much much faster.

Click to shrink...

Its the 2nd fastest selling console of all time (thus far). It opened bigger than the Wii and PS2 and has consistently maintained a higher selling pace than PS2 worldwide, has kept close with the Wii (within 5 to 7 million between each other WW at the same time frame) / and traded blows with the Wii early one.

Ps4 currently sits at 95 million units sold and now its en-route to surpass the Wii in the next 16 weeks with the projected 116 million sales units for FY19.

This year, worldwide, PS4 has sold more than the Switch from January to March, in its 5th year on the market. This is a record selling pace, imo.

 

[impact]

Damn I had no clue the PS4 had only sold 8M units there.

Click to shrink...

Goes to show how different Japan is compared to every other gaming market. If its not handheld they probably don't give a shit about it.

 

[Andri]

Couldn't the same be said for Switch? Who is holding out for Switch after Zelda, Smash, Splatoon, Kart, Pokemon, Mario, Xeno etc have all landed? I think FF7 has a lot more selling power than any SE game released on PS4. There are absolutely people that passed on ff15 and DQ11 that will be very excited to buy FF7. The game is legendary and many consider the psx era the last golden age of the franchise.

Click to shrink...

Its definitively different.
Nintendos biggest Titles in Japan are Animal crossing, New Generation of Pokemon and Yokai Watch.
None of these are on switch yet(though they all come this year).
Plus, a big part of that 24m 3DS audience will definitively jump on a cheaper Switch, be it by way of revision of simple pricedrop.

Because switch has not yet had a pricedrop, and their existing audience on 3ds is used to a much lower entrypoint there is much space to grow for switch.

Meanwhile PS4 is already at a saturation point, and even its literally best selling game in japan that wont ever be surpassed(MHW) didnt manage to lift the sales either substantially nor longterm.
There will be a burst of people buying PS4 at FF7R but i would be really impressed if the boost lasted more than 2-3 weeks before its back to the usual very low week on week sales PS4 has nowadays.

 

[srtrestre]

Can't wait for the "Switch doubles, triples, (etc.) PS4's lifetime sales in Japan" threads. Those will be fun.

 

[Papacheeks]

Lol Fam, I didn't attack the PS4. Calm down. Its sold incredibly well. My point was that there isn't much reason for FF7R to kickstart sales for the system in Japan when it's already done as well as it could have there. You probably didn't even read my whole post and just saw red at me daring to say the PS4 can't sell much more while ignoring the fact that I was speaking purely for Japan

Click to shrink...

No..... I read your whole post. And you said Nintendo hadn't gone through all their big titles. I argued what titles do Nintendo have that they haven't released? They released all of them minus animal crossing and mainline Pokemon.

They launched with probably is the strongest first party lineup within a year. Which is almost unheard of from Nintendo or anyone. I wasn't biting your head off or seeing red.

I was disagreeing that you think there are bigger games yet to still release on switch.

 

[Menx64]

Awesome numbers. I wonder if it can reach 20m LTD.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

Awesome numbers. I wonder if it can reach 20m LTD.

Click to shrink...

easily, in ~3 years.

 

[Skittzo]

Really curious to see how high it can get there. This year with a potential revision, price cut and mainline Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Yokai Watch we might see some nutty numbers.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

No..... I read your whole post. And you said Nintendo hadn't gone through all their big titles. I argued what titles do Nintendo have that they haven't released? They released all of them minus animal crossing and mainline Pokemon.

They launched with probably is the strongest first party lineup within a year. Which is almost unheard of from Nintendo or anyone. I wasn't biting your head off or seeing red.

I was disagreeing that you think there are bigger games yet to still release on switch.

Click to shrink...

Dude, you went off on a tangent about the PS4 not launching at $300 with all of Sony's heavy hitters and how it could've sold way more in that case, as if that had anything to do with what I was talking about, which was that the PS4 doesn't have anything left to massively increase its sales in Japan, unlike the Switch, which has price drops, revisions, and, yes, some heavy hitters that haven't come out yet, including Yokai Watch or even DQXIS, which could provide a reasonable bump. It was purely about Japan. Not even worldwide

That being said, the likes of 2D Zelda, Fire Emblem, Luigi's Mansion 3, and Super Mario Maker 2 will each sell several million, with the latter in particular likely to sell gangbusters if previous 2D Mario's are any indication, without even including Animal Crossing or mainline Pokemon. Then we can throw in revivals of older IP, such as 1080, and new IPs that would help a lot. They haven't put out everything, as much as folk seem to think they have

 

[D.Lo]

Its the 2nd fastest selling console of all time (thus far). It opened bigger than the Wii and PS2 and has consistently maintained a higher selling pace than PS2 worldwide, has kept close with the Wii (within 5 to 7 million between each other WW at the same time frame) / and traded blows with the Wii early one.

Ps4 currently sits at 95 million units sold and now its en-route to surpass the Wii in the next 16 weeks with the projected 116 million sales units for FY19.

This year, worldwide, PS4 has sold more than the Switch from January to March, in its 5th year on the market. This is a record selling pace, imo.

Click to shrink...

Not really, it has a window in the middle where it sits as a close #3.

PS4 was far behind the Wii pace for years 1-4. Wii had sold 85 million at the end of 2010, which is 4 years plus one quarter. PS4 in the same period (end of 2017) had sold 75 million.
In 2018 PS4 finally started outpacing the Wii, as the Wii lost pace in 2011 as third parties had abandoned it despite it being the runaway home console generation winner.
Starting soon, PS4 will fall well behind the PS2 and will likely stay there permanently as PS2 kept selling for a long long time.
And of course the DS towers above all of them, only finally right at the end of the curve falling behind PS2 because it was discontinued sooner.

So PS4 was the #3-4 of all time, slower than DS/Wii/PS2 years 1-4, has a window of maybe a year (launch aligned) where it will be a close #3, and will settle as a distant #3 again soon.

Distant #3 is not 'record' selling pace.

Edit: Lots of the PR about PS4 matching the PS2's pace ignores the PS2's much more staggered international launch. Launch alligning each market is much less kind to PS4/PS2 comparisons.

 

[Menx64]

easily, in ~3 years.

Click to shrink...

Then the question is how close to the 3DS will get. Very interesting.

 

[Dinobot]

Absolute monster.

 

[Euler007]

A PS5 Portable will come, I can feel it in my bones. It's either that or diarrhea, I dunno but I feel something! 😃

Click to shrink...

I don't know man. I feel an awful lot of the "I prefer the Switch because it's portable" camp will only buy a portable built by Nintendo. I'm sure my opinion is shared by a few people in the conference rooms at Sony headquarters.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

I don't know man. I feel an awful lot of the "I prefer the Switch because it's portable" camp will only buy a portable built by Nintendo. I'm sure my opinion is shared by a few people in the conference rooms at Sony headquarters.

Click to shrink...

The PSP sold a ton, man. Now, the handheld market has changed and contracted because of smartphones and mobile gaming but I'd imagine if they put out a solid handheld that has appeal, like the Switch, it'd sell. They'd just need to nail it

 

[StevieP]

The PSP sold a ton, man. Now, the handheld market has changed and contracted because of smartphones and mobile gaming but I'd imagine if they put out a solid handheld that has appeal, like the Switch, it'd sell. They'd just need to nail it

Click to shrink...

It won't be a PS5. You can't even make a portable PS4 yet, unless by "portable" you mean "laptop sized"

 

[Deleted member 1413]

Sony Handhelds had an issue where Sony couldn't support two systems at once.
Issue gets compounded every generation with systems becoming more capable and consumers demanding more.

Nintendo struggled last gen trying to support their first HD console and the 3DS which was also meant for 3D games of a much larger scope than DS.
Sony relied on 3rd party support with entries from massive franchise like FF and MH on PSP to sell 80M units.
Vita couldn't secure these titles and Sony couldn't support two HD consoles at once so it floundered.

Switch has been selling so well so quickly because the hardware is attractive and Nintendo can put all their support in one place.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

Good. System is a beast and has an absolutely incredible lineup for only being 2 years old.

 

[Toni]

Not really, it spent four years at #4, and has a window in the middle where it sits as a close #3.

PS4 was far behind the Wii pace for years 1-4. Wii had sold 85 million at the end of 2010, which is 4 years plus one quarter. PS4 in the same period (end of 2017) had sold 75 million.
In 2018 PS4 finally started outpacing the Wii, as the Wii lost pace in 2011 as third parties had abandoned it despite it being the runaway home console generation winner.
Starting soon, PS4 will fall well behind the PS2 and will likely stay there permanently as PS2 kept selling for a long long time.
And of course the DS towers above all of them, only finally right at the end of the curve falling behind PS2 because it was discontinued sooner.

So PS4 was the #4 of all time, slower than DS/Wii/PS2 years 1-4, has a window of maybe a year (launch aligned) where it will be a close #3, and will settle as a distant #3 again soon.

Distant #3 is not 'record' selling pace.

Click to shrink...

Somethings to highlight;

- I am not accounting DS on the conversation as its not a video game console.
- I am strictly speaking between the record selling paces and record numbers which are unequivocally between Wii, PS4 and PS2.
- I stated PS4 is the second best selling console thus far, as its still selling extremely well for its 6th year on the market and is projected to sell 116 million, regardless of a Days of Play sales event or the much rumored price cut slated for Fall 2019. 2 factors that can amp up the FY19 sales prediction of 16 million.
- While PS4 is exhibiting signs of slowing down in America and some regions, its still selling almost a million a month WW

Which is why I am stating its the 2nd fastest selling console, thus far, of all time. Wether its record pace slows down or not after the end of the 2019 Fiscal Year, remains to be seen. The fact of the matter is that: --> PS4 has the biggest console opening in the first 24 hours --> is the 2nd fastest selling console of all time. Which are majorly the strongest points I wanted to touch basis on.

 

[Herb Alpert]

Somethings to highlight;

- I am not accounting DS on the conversation as its not a video game console.
- I am strictly speaking between the record selling paces and record numbers which are unequivocally between Wii, PS4 and PS2.
- I stated PS4 is the second best selling console thus far, as its still selling extremely well and is projected to sell 116 million, regardless of a Days of Play sales event or the much rumored price cut slated for Fall 2019. 2 factors that can amp up the FY19 sales prediction of 16 million.
- While PS4 is exhibiting signs of slowing down in America and some markets, its still selling almost a million a month WW

Which I am stating its the 2nd fastest selling console, thus far, of all time. Wether its record pace slows down or not after the end of the 2019 Fiscal Year, remains to be seen. The fact of the matter is that: --> PS4 has the biggest console opening in the first 24 hours --> is the 2nd fastest selling console of all time. Which are majorly the strongest points I wanted to touch basis on.

Click to shrink...

Why isn't DS a console ? What is it ?

 

[D.Lo]

Somethings to highlight;

- I am not accounting DS on the conversation as its not a video game console.

Click to shrink...

Perhaps you should look up the definition of 'video game console'.

its the 2nd fastest selling console, thus far, of all time. Wether its record pace

Click to shrink...

You know something cannot be a 'record' if it's #2 (actually #3) right?

 

[Sagadego17]

Somethings to highlight;

- I am not accounting DS on the conversation as its not a video game console.

Click to shrink...

Yes it is! it's a portable console, still console whether you like it or not!

 

[hibikase]

If only that domestic success would translate to better support from domestic third parties, but nope. Still treated as an afterthought more than two years later.

 

[hibikase]

Why isn't DS a console ? What is it ?

Click to shrink...

It's that objectively wrong definition of "console" commonly used here that only means home consoles and doesn't include handheld consoles.

 

[SuperFakerBros]

It won't be a PS5. You can't even make a portable PS4 yet, unless by "portable" you mean "laptop sized"

Click to shrink...

Lol I know they'd never make their PS4 successor a handheld. I'm just saying that I think it's a bit silly to think they can't ever find success there anymore

 

[Toni]

Why isn't DS a console ? What is it ?

Click to shrink...

Perhaps you should look up the definition of 'video game console'.

Click to shrink...

Yes it is! it's a portable console, still console whether you like it or not!

Click to shrink...

Really?

Question then: Does NPD tracks DS as a "console" in their sales catalog?

If thats a yes, then thats an oversight from my part and I'l'l apologize in advance. I fuzzily recall NPD tracking consoles and handhelds separately but I hadn't double-checked for some reason.

 

[Deleted member 18161]

Switch did this without a new monster hunter, without a new generation Pokémon, without animal crossing or any big game, no dragon quest

Click to shrink...

This is the truly impressive achievement to me for Japan.

Worldwide, sales throughout this year then into 2020 (which will probably contain the 'Pro' model along with the next 3D Mario, Zelda and MH) and 2021 (price cuts and more models) should see Switch outsell PS4 in lifetime sales.

 

[D.Lo]

Really?

Question then: Does NPD tracks DS as a "console" in their sales catalog?

If thats a yes, then thats an oversight from my part and I'l'l apologize in advance. I fuzzily recall NPD tracking consoles and handhelds separately but I hadn't double-checked for some reason.

Click to shrink...

Just think about it for two seconds.

DS is a handheld. A handheld what?

 

[Rndom Grenadez]

Also, PS4 could take the lead back with FF7R later this year. That game is going to sell PS4s in Japan big time.

Click to shrink...

Gen 8 and Animal Crossing.

Several. It's the 5th most successful handheld. Nice of you to omit consoles like Gamecube and Mega Drive, though, I guess that was too inconvenient for your narrative.

Click to shrink...

So basically no portables of relevance since every Nintendo portable and the it's predecessor all sold better?

 

[Sonicfan059]

STOP THE PRESSES! A handheld device did better in Japan than a home console? I'll be impressed when/if it surpasses the 3DS.

 

[Deleted member 5028]

You expect Switch to sell 116 million units lifetime? That is the projected accumulated sales figures for PS4 at the end of its 2019 Fiscal Year. Switch would have have to keep up with the pretty much insane record selling pace set forth by PS4 and retain that pace all the way to its 5th year on the market.

Click to shrink...

I dare say that next gen will be a harder battle to 100m. Sony's main advantage this gen was that Microsoft had fucked up so badly they couldn't compete in the sales race.

2020 is going to be interesting.

 

[Deleted member 9971]

Finally 🥳

 

[Mistermetz]

You would think the switch would be getting more 3rd party Japanese support like from capcom, why are the Japanese ignoring the most successful Japanese console of this gen

Click to shrink...

Most of them probably think Nintendo is for non gamers and casuals. Wii & DS after effect? Which is not essentially true for Switch. As those casual and non gamer stuff doesn't sell much..

 

[K' Dash]

Congrats to Ninty, this is great news.

 

[Jaded Alyx]

DS is a handheld. A handheld what?

Click to shrink...

A handheld handheld, naturally.

STOP THE PRESSES! A handheld device did better in Japan than a home console? I'll be impressed when/if it surpasses the 3DS.

Click to shrink...

One that is sold at the same price as a home console with games selling at the same price as home console games, yes.

 

[srtrestre]

Just think about it for two seconds.

DS is a handheld. A handheld what?

Click to shrink...

Handheld grenade launcher?

 

[DeuceGamer]

But it's not? Japan doesn't do consoles anymore. The heydays of the PS2 are but a distant memory. This is an inevitability.

Click to shrink...

Of course the Japanese market has changed. Even the PS3 sold more than the PS4 has currently in Japan despite the PS4 blowing last the PS3 globally.

I don't expect a console to move 20+ million units but with the content on PS4 I do think they should have been capable of higher figures. Especially considering the Xbox is a non factor making most major releases basically exclusives for all intents and purposes.

I guess my point is that it's not that surprising that the Switch past it. In the end, I doubt Sony is too upset considering the global sales.

 

[Skittzo]

STOP THE PRESSES! A handheld device did better in Japan than a home console? I'll be impressed when/if it surpasses the 3DS.

Click to shrink...

Isn't the 3DS the second best selling console ever in Japan? That's not exactly a low bar.

 

[Deleted member 2793]

Yeah, but to what extent is that because the other franchises are held back by being on less successful hardware?
What if Japanese devs released their biggest and best games on the actual winning hardware (DS, 3DS and now Switch)? Eg, the highest selling Dragon Quest is on DS. The last time they focused their prime efforts on the system that was actually winning was the PS2.

Click to shrink...

Most japanese franchises lost their potential by being on only PS3/PS4 for a decade while the Nintendo portables were the true mainstream systems in the country. Now they have no mindshare or lost a lot of it to most consumers.

That's a big reason why almost only Nintendo franchises are mainstream in the country. These are the games that were available to people who bought the DS and 3DS.

 

[Deleted member 10737]

STOP THE PRESSES! A handheld device did better in Japan than a home console? I'll be impressed when/if it surpasses the 3DS.

Click to shrink...

one that is priced like a console, with games priced like console games instead of cheap handheld games, and passed the sales of its competitor in less than half the time on the market. there's no way to spin this into anything other than impressive, or pretend this was the expected outcome.

 

[Sonicfan059]

Of course the Japanese market has changed. Even the PS3 sold more than the PS4 has currently in Japan despite the PS4 blowing last the PS3 globally.

I don't expect a console to move 20+ million units but with the content on PS4 I do think they should have been capable of higher figures. Especially considering the Xbox is a non factor making most major releases basically exclusives for all intents and purposes.

I guess my point is that it's not that surprising that the Switch past it. In the end, I doubt Sony is too upset considering the global sales.

Click to shrink...

That should show you just how unattractive home consoles are in Japan these days. Sony could buy Nintendo and make all of their games exclusive to PS5 and it would still perform the same as PS4.

 

[Jon Carter]

Several. It's the 5th most successful handheld. Nice of you to omit consoles like Gamecube and Mega Drive, though, I guess that was too inconvenient for your narrative.

Click to shrink...

The consoles it outsold were all considered flops, and I saw that you later acknowledged your mistake, but pointing out the Vita is the 6th/7th most successful handheld is silly because there are only five/six successful handhelds. That's like defending the Wii U's performance saying it's Nintendo's 6th/7th most successful home console. Being in the top 10 is not an accomplishment if there aren't 10 strong participants.

 

[famikon]

PS4 doesn't have record selling pace. The Wii and especially DS sold much much faster.

Click to shrink...

Wii basically died after it reached 100 M. It's not a good example, PS4 will overtake it easily.

 

[Cornbread78]

Can't wait for the "Switch doubles, triples, (etc.) PS4's lifetime sales in Japan" threads. Those will be fun.

Click to shrink...

Just join the celebration of Nintendomination

 

[SuperFakerBros]

Wii basically died after it reached 100 M. It's not a good example, PS4 will overtake it easily.

Click to shrink...

Yes but the Wii sold considerably faster at its peak, which is what he was trying to get at

 

[ILikeFeet]

Well Sony, you know what you have to do now...

:P

Click to shrink...

believe in Trinity

 

[DeuceGamer]

That should show you just how unattractive home consoles are in Japan these days. Sony could buy Nintendo and make all of their games exclusive to PS5 and it would still perform the same as PS4.

Click to shrink...

I don't buy that the PS4 has reached the maximum amount of sales in Japan for a home console moving forward. The market isn't what it once was, but personally I believe the market is capable of more under the proper circumstances and proper support.