Switch Sales Dive in Japan as Prices Rise

In an update from Famitsu, we get a fresh glimpse of the Japanese gaming market as the initial week following the price increase of Nintendo Switch unfolds. It appears that the price adjustment has not deterred existing Switch owners, as they continue to show unwavering support for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, which saw an additional approximately 52,000 sales this week, managing to maintain its leading position despite the release of 007 First Light on PS5.

Elsewhere in the charts, AQUAPLUS’ JRPG Utawarerumono: Past and Present Rediscovered made a strong debut at fifth and ninth positions. Meanwhile, Demon Kill Demon: Yomi 1985 marked its entry at seventh.

The most significant change, however, can be observed in the hardware charts, as we witness the first numbers post the price hike of Nintendo Switch (effective from 25th May).

In the wake of a sharp market downturn, both the original Nintendo Switch and its successor have seen their recent sales surge plummet dramatically. The newer Switch 2 managed a modest 31,751 units this week, a steep fall from the 247,880 copies sold at the peak last week, yet it still managed to hold its title. In stark contrast, the standard Switch 1 model fell into the single‑digit thousands, selling only 229 units and slipping below the Xbox Series X in the rankings.

Overall sales are contracting across the board, and while the Switch family benefited from a brief surge of pre‑price‑increase purchases, the magnitude of the decline is striking.

Consequently, our usual SKU comparison has been altered, with the PlayStation 5 emerging as the top performer this week, amassing a combined total of 8,373 units, while the trio of Switch 1 models collectively accounted for 6,271 units.