We're all aware of just how successful the Switch has been since its launch in 2017. The latest figures put it at a total of 156.59 million units sold worldwide, which means that had Sony not managed to find some extra PS2 sales down the back of the couch in 2024, the Switch would be the best-selling console of all time. Alas, Sony added 5 million to the PS2's sales, totalling 160 million – boo.
In a new interview with analyst Dr. Serkan Toto over at The Game Business, however, the Switch may have actually saved the Japanese console market from extinction. Essentially, had the Switch failed in a manner comparable to the Wii U, then Japanese gamers may have gravitated even further to mobile gaming and PC.
Thankfully, that didn't happen, and Toto states that Nintendo now dominates the console market in Japan with 70% of the share for gaming content.
“Nintendo has had an iron grip on the Japanese console market since 2017 when the Switch 1 came out.
“I would phrase it a little differently. I would say that if Nintendo produced another flop like the Wii U, and if the Switch wasn’t the super hit it turned out to be, the Japanese console market would have been completely eliminated. I think that even more people would have turned to smartphones, and maybe even PC. Nintendo not only completely dominates the console segment here in Japan with 70% market share for all gaming content, but they also saved it.”
We know many of you don't take analysts too seriously, and that's fine, but this particular commentary does sound pretty accurate. While mobile gaming doesn't seem to be doing too hot in Japan right now, the region embraced the medium in recent years, putting pressure on consoles.
The Switch, thanks to its handheld capabilities, fits right in with lifestyles in Japan, with a lot of folks spending significant time on public transport. In addition, with Sony shifting its focus more to western audiences for the PS5, the Switch has completely dominated the market in Japan, and that's looking set to continue in the coming years with the Switch 2.
Overall then, the Switch is a good egg, indeed. Well done.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/09/japanese-console-market-would-have-been-eliminated-if-switch-failed-says-analyst
