- Nintendo is unbeatable in Japan, as it has dominated the software and hardware charts for 19 years.
- In the past 19 years, only the PSP was able to beat a Nintendo system as the best-selling console in a single year.
- The company’s shares have also reached a new high recently, smashing its own record from 2007.
Although Nintendo is popular worldwide, its popularity in Japan is on a different level. Whether it’s software or hardware, Nintendo has always dominated the charts in Japan.
Last year, the Nintendo Switch continued to dominate hardware sales in the region, and first-party offerings outpaced the competition in software sales. According to VGC, this performance marks a 19-year streak for the gaming giant.
Why it matters: The PS5 went through its own sales boom in the region in 2023, selling 2.6 million units to beat the PS3 and PS4. However, this was still not enough to challenge its biggest rival in Japan.
Famitsu unveiled its annual sales report recently, and once again, Nintendo has taken over both hardware and software charts.
To nobody’s surprise, the Nintendo Switch came out on top as 2023’s best-selling console. According to Famitsu’s past data, the console rarely ever faced a challenge from the competition, with the PS5 pulling ahead for a few weeks only.
In 2023, the Nintendo Switch sold 4 million units in the region. Overall sales also went beyond 132 million, with lifetime numbers closing in on 32 million sales in Japan.
In these 19 years, only the PSP has been able to dethrone Nintendo from the hardware charts. Every other year, the DS, 3DS, or the Nintendo Switch were seen at the top.
On the software side, no company has been able to compete with Nintendo for 19 years. The highly-rated Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom topped the charts this year, while Super Mario Wonder and Pikmin 4 followed in second and third place.
Additionally, Nintendo shares went through a dramatic growth recently, marking a record-high for the gaming giant.
A new console from the company is also on the horizon. The Nintendo Switch 2 already has quite the following after the gaming giant’s recent performance in the market, so it should be able to continue the momentum for the 20th year in a row.
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[News Reporter]
Bawal is an MBBS student by day and a gaming journalist by night. He has been gaming since childhood, growing fond of the creativity and innovation of the industry. His career as a gaming journalist started one year ago, and his journey has allowed him to write reviews, previews, and features for various sites. Bawal has also been cited in reputed websites such as Screenrant, PCGamesN, WCCFTech, GamesRadar, and more.
