Switch vs 3DS in Japan Sales Comparison - July 2021 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 30 August 2021 / 1,998 Views
The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales comparison using our estimated video game hardware figures. The charts include comparisons between the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, as well as with older platforms. There are articles based on our worldwide estimates, as well as the US, Europe, and Japan.
This monthly series compares the aligned Japanese sales of the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS.
The 3DS launched in February 2011 in Japan and the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017. This does mean the normal holiday periods and the Japanese Golden Week holiday for the two consoles are off by one month.
Switch Vs. 3DS Japan:
Gap change in latest month: 224,748 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 3,359,230 - Switch
Total Lead: 2,100,149 - Switch
Switch Total Sales: 20,762,783
3DS Total Sales: 18,662,634
July 2021 is the 53rd month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for in Japan. During the latest month, the Switch outsold the 3DS by 224,748 units when you align the launches. In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the 3DS by 3.36 million units. The Switch is currently ahead of the 3DS by 2.10 million units.
The 53rd month for the Switch is July 2021, while for the 3DS it is June 2015. The Switch has sold 20.76 million units, while the 3DS sold 18.66 million units during the same timeframe. The 3DS did not reach current Switch sales until month 65.
The 3DS has sold 24.66 million units lifetime in Japan through July 2021. The Switch is currently 3.90 million units behind the lifetime sales of the 3DS.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
More Articles
This is over already.
Looks like Switch is on track to overtake 3DS around November next year.
I would love to see the momentum continue so it becomes the 3rd console to sell 30 million in Japan.
Probably even earlier than that, at the end of the year Switch should be at around 23.5M, and there's just a bit more than 1M to go from there
Switch will have surpassed 3DS latest March 2022 I think.
The 3ds really had good momentum for the first few years. But there's no stopping the switch now. It should land around 30-35 million lifetime. 40 million tops.
Strange. I had it on good authority that the Switch aligned sales would never catch up with the 3DS in Japan, hence the Switch is a flop.
