Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Leads Latest Japanese Sales Charts
The latest data from Japan’s physical gaming charts, sourced from NintendoFamitsu, spotlights a quiet yet telling week for video game sales.
Dominating the rankings is Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which debuted at the top with 31,372 units sold between January 12 and January 18, 2024.
Despite a lackluster sales week overall, this indicates sustained interest in Nintendo’s popular life simulation franchise, especially as it branches onto new hardware. Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons - previously a cultural phenomenon on the original Nintendo Switch with over 8 million units sold in Japan alone - continues to play a vital role in Nintendo’s portfolio.
The new Switch 2 Edition introduction appears to have re-energized the series, even if overall numbers remain modest by launch standards.
For comparison, the original Switch edition of Animal Crossing also saw a bump, landing in fourth place for the week with 9,047 additional copies sold, bringing its cumulative total in Japan to 8,343,109 units. Rounding out the podium, Mario Kart World secured second place with 17,639 units sold (cumulative sales now at 2,778,889), while Pokémon Legends: Z-A landed in third with 9,990 units sold on the standard Switch and an additional 8,560 copies purchased for the Switch 2 Editon.
The enduring popularity of these franchises highlights the consistent strength of Nintendo’s first-party software, even amid seasonal slowdowns in the market. Further down the top ten, titles such as Momotaro Dentetsu 2 and Kirby Air Riders maintained steady sales, while evergreen giants like Minecraft continue to chart with more than 4.1 million Switch units sold to date.
Donkey Kong Bananza also made the top ten for Switch 2, further diversifying Nintendo’s dominance across multiple IPs. On the hardware front, Nintendo continues to command the Japanese console landscape.
The Nintendo Switch 2 claimed top spot on the hardware charts, moving 67,509 units this week, contributing to its lifetime sales of 4,165,414 in Japan.
The Switch Lite followed with 12,686 units, now boasting over 6.8 million units to date, while the Switch OLED model added 8,631 units, approaching 9.5 million lifetime sales.
Combined, the three main Switch SKUs accounted for 12,234 units—well ahead of their closest competitor. PlayStation 5 remained the highest selling non-Nintendo console this week, but with all three PS5 models totaling 9,983 units combined, Nintendo’s grip on the Japanese gaming market is as firm as ever.
Xbox platforms maintained a minimal presence, with the Series X Digital Edition, Series S, and Series X each moving fewer than 300 units for the week. Although overall sales figures were down compared to previous periods—a typical trend for the mid-January lull—the data underscores Nintendo’s sustained dominance in both hardware and software.
As new editions and anticipated titles land on the Nintendo Switch 2 and its family of systems, the company appears well-positioned to maintain its leadership in the Japanese market well into 2024.
Dominating the rankings is Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which debuted at the top with 31,372 units sold between January 12 and January 18, 2024.
Despite a lackluster sales week overall, this indicates sustained interest in Nintendo’s popular life simulation franchise, especially as it branches onto new hardware. Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons - previously a cultural phenomenon on the original Nintendo Switch with over 8 million units sold in Japan alone - continues to play a vital role in Nintendo’s portfolio.
The new Switch 2 Edition introduction appears to have re-energized the series, even if overall numbers remain modest by launch standards.
For comparison, the original Switch edition of Animal Crossing also saw a bump, landing in fourth place for the week with 9,047 additional copies sold, bringing its cumulative total in Japan to 8,343,109 units. Rounding out the podium, Mario Kart World secured second place with 17,639 units sold (cumulative sales now at 2,778,889), while Pokémon Legends: Z-A landed in third with 9,990 units sold on the standard Switch and an additional 8,560 copies purchased for the Switch 2 Editon.
The enduring popularity of these franchises highlights the consistent strength of Nintendo’s first-party software, even amid seasonal slowdowns in the market. Further down the top ten, titles such as Momotaro Dentetsu 2 and Kirby Air Riders maintained steady sales, while evergreen giants like Minecraft continue to chart with more than 4.1 million Switch units sold to date.
Donkey Kong Bananza also made the top ten for Switch 2, further diversifying Nintendo’s dominance across multiple IPs. On the hardware front, Nintendo continues to command the Japanese console landscape.
The Nintendo Switch 2 claimed top spot on the hardware charts, moving 67,509 units this week, contributing to its lifetime sales of 4,165,414 in Japan.
The Switch Lite followed with 12,686 units, now boasting over 6.8 million units to date, while the Switch OLED model added 8,631 units, approaching 9.5 million lifetime sales.
Combined, the three main Switch SKUs accounted for 12,234 units—well ahead of their closest competitor. PlayStation 5 remained the highest selling non-Nintendo console this week, but with all three PS5 models totaling 9,983 units combined, Nintendo’s grip on the Japanese gaming market is as firm as ever.
Xbox platforms maintained a minimal presence, with the Series X Digital Edition, Series S, and Series X each moving fewer than 300 units for the week. Although overall sales figures were down compared to previous periods—a typical trend for the mid-January lull—the data underscores Nintendo’s sustained dominance in both hardware and software.
As new editions and anticipated titles land on the Nintendo Switch 2 and its family of systems, the company appears well-positioned to maintain its leadership in the Japanese market well into 2024.
