Switch vs DS Sales Comparison in Japan - April 2023 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 June 2023 / 6,916 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 DS.
The DS launched in December 2004 in Japan and the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017. Therefore, the normal holiday periods and the Japanese Golden Week holiday for the two consoles do not lineup.
Switch Vs. DS Japan:
Gap change in latest month: 134,994 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 1,571,547 - Switch
Total Lead: 3,423,259 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 29,022,114
DS Total Sales: 32,445,373
April 2023 is the 74th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for in Japan. During the latest month, the Switch has outsold the DS by 134,994 units when you align the launches.
In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the DS by 1.57 million units. The DS is currently ahead of the Switch by 3.42 million units.
The 74th month for the Switch is April 2023, while for the DS it is January 2011. The Switch has sold 29.02 million units, while the DS sold 32.45 million units during the same timeframe. The DS sold current Switch sales in month 61.
The DS has sold 32.99 million units lifetime in Japan. The Switch is currently 3.97 million units behind the lifetime sales of the DS.
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 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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This is the beginning of DS's final breathes
I can't believe Nintendo Switch can make it
It didn't make it. The DS outsold the Switch for the entire lifetime of the DS. The DS was discontinued at this point. Time is out.
By your logic the switch outsold the ps2 worldwide, as the Switch sold faster than the ps2 its whole life right? No reason to count 1 unit past the ps3s launch
i would agree with that logic yes, but your numbers are wrong, the Switch didn't outsell during the PS2 lifetime
@garrus you literally make this argument every time a thread like this is created, and each time you look like a goof because it's not a valid point. Keep on keeping on, at least we know what to expect going forward.
it is a valid point, why not compare versus the DS and 3DS then if you are going to compare over a longer time span
Switch has still 3 years left until month 109. Switch needs to sell another 4 million units in 36 months. Sounds doable. Switch should sell another 2 million within this year and a yearly decline of 30 %.
Good job Willy, now I cannot make my joke about the Game Boy selling 30 million on its first week and then 0
DS pretty much flat lined as this point, so the question is, can Switch sell extra 3.5M units. I think it can, unless Switch's successor will release relatively soon and completely cannibalise its sales.
