Switch vs DS Sales Comparison in Japan - August 2023 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 October 2023 / 4,831 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: 291,141 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 2,265,817 - Switch
Total Lead: 2,270,199 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 30,456,514
DS Total Sales: 32,726,713
August 2023 is the 78th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for in Japan. During the latest month, the Switch has outsold the DS by 291,141 units when you align the launches.
In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the DS by 2.27 million units. The DS is currently ahead of the Switch by 2.27 million units.
The 78th month for the Switch is August 2023, while for the DS it is May 2011. The Switch has sold 30.46 million units, while the DS sold 32.73 million units during the same timeframe. The DS sold current Switch sales in month 67.
The DS has sold 32.99 million units lifetime in Japan. The Switch is currently 2.53 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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The Switch will probably still be selling damn well by the time the two lines cross. I honestly think 35m is the absolute floor at this point.
Only way I see the Switch not outselling the DS is if the Switch 2 launches out of nowhere in a couple of months and Nintendo kills off the Switch. Which ain't going to happen.
Another feat I didn’t think was possible a few years ago.
Tremendous accomplishments.
Switch not outselling NDS was not really the topic. ;) We all know it is impossible for Switch not to outsell NDS in Japan anymore. NDS will be caught like during Q1 2024 (CY) and I agree with UnderwaterFunktown - 35m seems the absolute floor now. But even for this Switch would need to kind of collapse after 2023. Of course heavily depending on "Switch 2" (release date, price and more) I think even reaching 40m is not completely out of the question for Switch. But this will be very hard of course. ;)
Yeah 35m could happen by end of next year. So it could definitely hit 36m lifetime even if it dies off fairly quickly after holiday 2024.
The line in the first graph is almost touching the -2,000,000 mark but the Switch is still 2,500,000 units behind the DS. Is there something that I'm not getting?
Switch is behind 2.27 million launch aligned, but 2.53 million in terms of total lifetime sales. These are two different comparisons.
Ohh, of course! Thanks for pointing this out to me
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