Nintendo Switch 2 Achieves Record-Breaking Launch Sales in Japan, Mario Kart World Sets New Software Milestone

Famitsu, Japan's leading video game publication, has released its latest weekly sales data, spotlighting a historic launch for Nintendo Switch 2 and the debut of Mario Kart World.

The sales figures, covering the period from June 2 to June 8, 2025, reveal a seismic shift in the Japanese console and software market, reaffirming Nintendo's dominant presence in the region. Nintendo Switch 2 Sets New Console Launch Record The Nintendo Switch 2 set a new industry standard for hardware launches in Japan.

According to Famitsu's data, the console sold an astounding 947,931 units during its first week on the market.

This number is nearly triple the launch week sales of the original Nintendo Switch, which sold 330,637 units in its debut week back in 2017.

The Switch 2’s performance not only outpaces every previous Nintendo system launch but also surpasses all PlayStation and Xbox launches in Japanese history, securing its place as the most successful hardware launch in the region. Mario Kart World Becomes Fastest-Selling Mario Kart Title at Launch Alongside the record-breaking console launch, Mario Kart World—released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2—debuted with 782,566 copies sold in its first week, including units bundled with the new console.

This performance surpasses the previous Mario Kart title launch record held by Mario Kart Wii, which had achieved 608,147 units sold in its first week.

With this achievement, Mario Kart World now stands as the fastest-selling entry in the franchise at launch in Japan. Other Notable Software Debuts and Chart Highlights The sales charts also showcase strong performances from several other new releases.

Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma from Marvelous launched with 45,703 copies sold for Nintendo Switch and an additional 10,877 copies for Switch 2.

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time by Level 5 continued its momentum, while titles such as Natsume’s Book of Friends: Hazuki no Shirushi and Elden Ring: Nightreign from From Software made notable appearances in the top ten. Ongoing Interest in Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox Hardware Switch 2’s launch significantly overshadowed hardware sales for competitors in the same week: PlayStation 5 sold 20,782 units, and Xbox Series consoles reached 333 units combined.

The original Nintendo Switch still saw steady sales numbers, underscoring the lasting impact of Nintendo’s hybrid platform strategy.

Famitsu’s hardware report lists the Nintendo Switch 2's opening at 947,931 units, with lifetime-to-date figures reflecting its immediate popularity. Clear Methodology, Continued Industry Transparency It should be noted that Famitsu’s sales tracking does not currently specify if figures include purchases made through Nintendo's official My Nintendo Store.

The breakdown of sales from all retail and online channels will be provided once Nintendo shares more detailed regional data in the coming months. By any measure, the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World marks a defining moment in video game industry history—confirming Nintendo’s continued capacity to captivate the Japanese market and set new benchmarks for both hardware and software sales.

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