- Primary Subject: Nintendo Switch 2 Sales Milestone in Japan
- Key Update: Switch 2 surpasses 5 million units, closing in on PS5’s lifetime sales
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: April 10, 2026
- Quick Answer: Switch 2 reached 5 million units in Japan in about 10 months, already nearing two-thirds of PS5’s lifetime sales while continuing to outsell it weekly.
The Nintendo Switch 2 just reached a new milestone in Japan, and it naturally puts it side by side with the PlayStation 5.
Based on the latest sales figures, Nintendo’s new console has now moved past 5 million units sold in Japan, landing at 5,011,059 units.
That number is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more striking when placed next to the PS5’s current lifetime performance in the same market.
The combined PlayStation 5 family, including the standard model, Digital Edition, and PS5 Pro, has now surpassed 7.5 million units in Japan.
In simple terms, that means the Switch 2 has already reached roughly two-thirds of the PS5’s lifetime sales in the country, despite arriving much later and spending far less time on store shelves.
How Fast Did Switch 2 Reach 5 Million Units?
This milestone is particularly impressive because of the speed, with the Switch 2 reaching 5 million units roughly ten months after its June 2025 release.
This level of pace reflects strong demand in Nintendo’s home market, especially since the original Switch took roughly a year and a half to get there in Japan. So this is not just a case of Nintendo selling well because it is Nintendo.
The newer system is progressing faster than its predecessor did at the same point, and the weekly hardware data makes that gap look even more pronounced, with Switch 2 selling 59,543 units that week to surpass 5 million total sales.
By contrast, the PS5 Digital Edition sold 12,141 units, the PS5 Pro sold 840 units, and the standard PS5 sold only 558 units.
Even when those PlayStation 5 numbers are combined, Nintendo still remains comfortably ahead for the week.
The Switch 2 is still outselling Sony’s hardware in the present, and by a very wide margin. The software sales in the same chart help explain why the platform continues to perform so strongly.
Several Switch 2 releases are still appearing prominently in Japan’s weekly rankings, which suggests the system is being supported by the kind of software lineup that keeps hardware demand alive.
Pokemon Pokopia led the chart with 45,484 units, while Mario Kart World added another 8,131, bringing its lifetime sales close to 2.9 million.
Other Switch-family titles and Switch 2 editions also showed up across the top ten, including Monster Hunter Stories 3, Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.
Why Is Nintendo So Strong in Japan Right Now?
Looking at the bigger picture, these numbers make more sense, as Nintendo remains deeply rooted in Japan, especially in a market that favors handheld and hybrid-style systems.
The Switch 2 leans into the same hybrid advantage, offering both on-the-go play and a home console setup. Some see this as the main factor behind its success, while others think Nintendo’s games are what truly drive it. Realistically, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
The hybrid design clearly makes the system more appealing in Japan, but that alone would not mean much without a strong lineup of games and a brand that already has deep roots in the market. Nintendo has both.
That contrast also makes Sony’s position in Japan look increasingly weak. While the PS5 continues to perform strongly worldwide, its trajectory in Japan is notably different, with roughly 7.5 million units sold since 2020, which remains respectable.
Even so, the Switch 2 getting this close so quickly highlights how much PlayStation’s momentum in Japan has slowed.
This is not just about pricing or hardware power, but also about the overall appeal of PlayStation’s ecosystem in the region.
Nintendo appears to be better aligned with what Japanese players currently want, whether that means portability, convenience, familiar first-party series, or a wider sense of brand loyalty.
Switch 2 likely has plenty of room to grow, given that it has already performed this well without the full lineup of Nintendo’s biggest hitters.
It hints that there’s still room to grow, and if Nintendo maintains a strong release schedule, the system may pull further ahead weekly while rapidly closing in on the PS5’s lifetime sales.
In that sense, this milestone is important not just because of where the numbers stand now, but because of what they suggest could happen next.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com: the best website for gaming news.