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Switch 2 Fuels Japan’s 2025 Game Market Surge as Mario Kart World Leads, UK Charts Confirm Momentum

New retail reporting points to hardware-led gains concentrated on Nintendo’s platform.

Overview

  • Famitsu’s 2025 totals show Switch 2 sold about 3.78 million units in Japan, becoming the fastest-selling console and representing more than half of home console sales.
  • Japan’s domestic games market rose to roughly ¥418.13 billion in 2025 from ¥301.32 billion in 2024, with most of the increase coming from hardware spending that climbed to about ¥282.69 billion.
  • Mario Kart World was Japan’s top physical game of 2025 at approximately 2.67 million copies, as Nintendo titles occupied nine of the top ten spots for a 21st consecutive year.
  • PlayStation 5 sold 879,204 units in Japan in 2025, a decline of around 60% year over year despite a cheaper model, while the original Switch added 1.52 million units and Xbox Series reached 31,226.
  • GfK’s UK boxed chart for the week ending January 17 places Mario Kart World at No. 1 and Animal Crossing: New HorizonsSwitch 2 Edition at No. 2, with 59% of that title’s sales on Switch 2.