Nintendo Switch Has Almost Outsold the PS2 In Japan | Screen Rant
The Nintendo Switch has almost outsold the PS2 in Japan, which means it has nearly dethroned the region's bestselling home console of all time.
The Nintendo Switch has almost outsold the PlayStation 2 in Japan, a massive feat in terms of sales for the region. This means that Nintendo has almost outsold the bestselling video game home console of all time in one of the medium's biggest regions.
Lists of bestselling video game consoles are dominated by the PS2 and the Nintendo DS, while the Nintendo Wii remains the company's top-selling home console globally. The PS2 took the top spot, with over 155 million units sold. The DS sits in second place, with 154.02 million units sold. One of the main reasons why the PS2 was so popular was due to its secondary use as a DVD player, as that was a major incentive to pick up the console - especially when it started to drop in price. It also helped that the PS2 had an incredible and varied library of games, which made it all the more attractive to consumers. While the PS2 might be the bestselling console worldwide, but it's not the top console in Japan overall as it rests behind three Nintendo handhelds.
Now, Famitsu has revealed updated sales data for the Nintendo Switch in Japan. According to the publication, the Switch has sold over 20 million consoles in the region since 2017, meaning Nintendo's hybrid console is quickly approaching the PS2's 21 million sales figure. According to Game Daily, the PS2 sold 21.4 million units in Japan over its lifespan. It's likely that the Switch will beat the PS2 in Japan later this year. There are rumors circulating about an upgraded Nintendo Switch Pro model being announced soon, and such a hardware revision could be the push the system needs to outpace the PS2.
If the Switch manages to beat out the Ps2, then it'll begin competing against other Nintendo systems for Japan's top spot. It needs to sell over 25 million units to beat the Nintendo 3DS (even though it has already outsold the 3DS worldwide). The real challenge will then begin, as it needs to sell just over 32 million units to beat the Game Boy and Game Boy Color and 33 million units sold to surpass the Nintendo DS, Japan's top-selling console of all time. These figures seem attainable considering the incredible customer response to the Switch in Japan, along with the fact that it's still only around halfway through its lifespan.
Sony needn't be too concerned about this trend, as the PlayStation brand continues to dominate everywhere else in the world. The PS5 is consistently selling out globally, especially in North America and Europe, which are bigger markets than Japan. PlayStation is the best-selling home console brand of all time, but the Nintendo Switch isn't likely to go down without a fight for highest sales this generation.
Source: Famitsu, Game Daily