As reported by VGC, Nintendo ha dominated sales of the gaming sector in Japan for 18 years in a row, in most cases both hardware and software related.
According to the latest data shared by Famitsu, 9 of the 10 best-selling games in 2022 are Nintendo Switch titles, with the console itself being the most purchased in the Rising Sun last year.
Consequently this means that the Kyoto company dominates the sales rankings of retail games from 2005 to today. 2004 was the last year that most of the top 10 games sold in Japan were not released on Nintendo consoles. That year PS2 beat the Game Boy Advance and the GameCube, with 8 out of 10 of the best sellers published on the Sony console.
Another interesting detail is that since 2004, only two times the best-selling game of the year in Japan has not been released on Nintendo consoles: Dragon Quest VIII in 2004 for PS2 and Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G in 2008 for PSP. 13 of the last 19 best-selling games of the year in Japan were published by Nintendo.
In Japan, Nintendo Switch has sold three times as many other consoles combined in 2022
As regards the hardware sales, Nintendo consoles have been the most purchased in Japan for the past 18 years, with the sole exception of 2010, when PSP triumphed. In all other cases DS, 3DS or Nintendo Switch were the best sellers in the Rising Sun.
Looking specifically at the 2022, Nintendo Switch has sold more than three times as many other consoles combined, for a total of over 4.8 million units. 27.7 million Switches have been purchased in Japan since launch. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet were the best-selling games.
