Nintendo Switch Becomes First Console to Sweep Japan’s Top 30 Charts Since 1988

Released in 2017, the Nintendo Switch is a little console that packs a big punch. It sets itself apart from other gaming systems through its hybrid nature. The console can be played docked and connected to a screen like a conventional console, or it can be used in portable form when you need to game on the go. Since its release, the console and the many games it supports have broken a slew of records. The Nintendo Switch has distinguished itself yet again by being the first gaming system to take up every spot on Japan’s Top 30 charts since 1988.

The data was collected by Famitsu, a highly popular Japanese gaming website. Their data shows that the number one spot on the list is taken by the Switch version of Minecraft while second place goes to the recently released The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD, which is a remaster of a Nintendo Wii game. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, a game which was ported to the Switch and released on the 5^th of August, also debuts on the list at twenty-fourth place.

The last console to achieve this amazing feat was the Nintendo Entertainment System. For the Switch to reach such heights within four years of its release demonstrates its popularity in Japan and the amazing level of support the console has received from both first-party and third-party developers.

The success of the Switch is also reflected by its sales. As of 2021, the Switch has sold over 89 million units. For comparison, the Nintendo 3DS sold over 75 million units in its lifetime. Nintendo Switch sales also outstrip the sales numbers of the Xbox 360 and the PS3 which sold 86 million units and 87.4 million units respectively.

Nintendo could be looking forward to yet another sales boost thanks to the upcoming release of the Nintendo Switch OLED. In addition to swapping out the Switch’s 6.2 inch LED screen for a shiny 7 inch OLED one, the new Switch also features increased internal storage.

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The Nintendo Switch OLED is set to release on the 8^th of October 2021.