PS5 Sales Boosted by Monster Hunter Wilds - Japan Hardware Estimates for February 2025 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 12 March 2025 / 4,866 Views
The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in Japan with 168,086 units sold for February 2025, according to VGChartz estimates. The Nintendo Switch has now sold an estimated 35.42 million units lifetime in Japan.
The PlayStation 5 sold an estimated 153,032 units to bring its lifetime sales to 6.67 million units. The Xbox Series X|S sold 7,421 units to bring their lifetime sales to 0.67 million units.
PS5 sales compared to the same month for the PS4 in 2018 are down by nearly 104,000 units, while the Xbox Series X|S compared to the same month for the Xbox One are up by over 6,000 units. PS4 sold 256,864 units for the month of February 2018 and Xbox One sales were at 1,386 units.
Nintendo Switch sales compared to the same month a year ago are down by 43,321 units (-20.5%). PlayStation 5 sales are down by 7,535 (-4.7%) and Xbox Series X|S sales are down by 2,813 units (-27.5%).
Looking at sales month-on-month, Nintendo Switch sales are down by over 27,000 units, the PlayStation 5 sales are up by over 105,000 units, and Xbox Series X|S sales are up by nearly 2,000 units.
2025 year-to-date, the Nintendo Switch has sold an estimated 363,202 units, the PlayStation 5 has sold 200,840 units, and the Xbox Series X|S has sold 13,257 units.
Monthly Sales:
Japan hardware estimates for February 2025 (Followed by lifetime sales):
- Switch - 168,086 (35,421,248)
- PlayStation 5 - 153,032 (6,668,533)
- Xbox Series X|S - 7,421 (673,120)
Weekly Sales:
Japan February 8, 2025 hardware estimates:
- Switch - 43,681
- PlayStation 5 - 14,417
- Xbox Series X|S - 2,324
Japan February 15, 2025 hardware estimates:
- Switch - 40,019
- PlayStation 5 - 16,058
- Xbox Series X|S - 2,831
Japan February 22, 2025 hardware estimates:
- Switch - 39188
- PlayStation 5 - 13565
- Xbox Series X|S - 1540
Japan March 1, 2025 hardware estimates:
- PlayStation 5 - 108,992
- Switch - 45,198
- Xbox Series X|S - 726
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 Bluesky.
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It’s crazy that Switch has long surpassed the previous record for most consoles sold in Japanese history, set by the DS, and still holds the top selling console for the monthly period, month after month.
So for February Switch sales Japan + Rest of the world are 224k (they are already added in the hardware by date tool) if we add around 120k for US and 130k for Europe, even adding almost the same numbers from January we get to 470k, So 1 month in, after January and we are already almost 100k down. And again that is optimistic, I can easily see US numbers in Feb dropping to as low as 100 or 110k , and EU dropping to 110 or 120k. Then the drop will be even bigger to something like 430-450k for the month, more than 100k drop on monthly basis, which may not sound a lot, but when you sell lower numbers such as around 500k monthly, the 100k difference is 20% drop. I wonder how much down will it go till the Switch 2 release, and will there be some baseline or it will continue dropping every next month.
Wasn't January a 5-weeks month? So when comparing Switch's sales in January and February , February will clearly have a disadvantage
No, the January last year was a 5-week month, but this January was just a normal 4-week month.
Thanks. I thought it had happened again this year
I find it strange how data from the Rest of the World is available so fast while Europe's and the US' take more time to be release. These regions are considered not so important for gaming, but still, these places seem to care more about tracking console sales in their territory than Europe and the US, at least in regarding how fast they do that
I think it's simply estimates from trunks, while we are waiting for US report, and for EU we rely again on estimates rather than official reports ..
Are you aware of the fact that all 3 systems are down? Yes the Switch is down more than PS5 but you have to add in the fact that Switch never had an official price drop and just entered its 9th year. PS5 passed its peak in 2023, wich was the first half of PS5's lifecycle according to Sony themselfes and has entered year number 5. I say for a system about to enter it's 9th (!) year, the numbers are quite good.
Right now the Switch is the most interesting, since there is easier to predict than the other ones. It's at the end of it's lifecycle, and when sales are slowing down it's way easier to predict than to make any estimates on PS5. It has a lot of life in front of it. I know all three are down. But Xbox is done and that is clear to everyone. PS5 has a lot of life in front of it, and when it was it's peak does not matter. This is also clear to anyone. However for the Switch there is the most debates right now how will it continue to sell, at what pace, and if it going to reach the PS2. I am summarizing the state it is in right now. Of course nothing is sure yet, but the way it's going now for this goal is not very decisive. I am doing analysis based on the data we have so far. I am not comparing Switch to PS5, in order to say when the PS5 peak was. Switch is doing fine for it's last month of it's 8th year, and will probably do okay for it's 9th year as well. Where it's not doing fine is its pathway to the PS2 and the goal of many around here, at least for the time being. And that's not even so much the point as much as is to make clear the state it is in, cuz many assumed it will continue to do 500k+ numbers. It won't. It hovered around 600-800k last year, without the holidays, and it's starting dropping big time this year, firstly because it's continuing it's natural drop year over year, secondly because of the saturation point, thirdly because of the announcement of the successor, forth because of the launch of the successor (assuming Nintendo don't mess up with that of course). Some people are so overoptimistic they expect the Switch to sell like over 500k for the first half of the year, and if you ask them they will tell you they probably expect drop just to 300k monthly after the successor release in the summer (if that is actually what will happen). With the data for January and February, I can't see that happening. Far from it. This is one summarize. I already done one about Xbox, and PS5 is still unclear of what it will settle at the end, but I already did a post about that as well.
Again i do NOT SAY it will surpass the PS2 but i would not call it "not doing fine is its pathway to the PS2" when 157 million will be the absolute floor for the Switch in march 2027. It will be 152 million by the end of march and i cannot see it selling under 4 million this year and another million next. And thats the most pessimistic scenario, not the highest. But it seems like after Switch's January, February could add another 500k+ for the Switch. I am assuming NO pricecut, NO first Party game other than Pokémon Legens ZA and MP4B and NO other model. I expect discontinuation no earlier than march 2027. If i underestimate only one of these points Switch could even go higher but i am not (quite) there yet! Again: I am NOT saying it passes the PS2!! But i wouldn't bet my mum on that!🤣
The comment, was not directed to you. As I already said, it's pretty early to call, but if the pattern downwards continue, it's not so good either. February won't add 500k+ because US and EU for January were 250k. And with each next week the sales are lower and lower. The sales for US and EU will match those of January at the very best scenario, but realistically I expect to be slightly down, so 100-120 for the US and 110-125k for Europe. Which in both scenarios will result in sales below 500k for February.
I've always expected 450k monthly for the Switch on avarage this year, anyways. Imo, with this trajectory and with further sales decrease, the Switch might get a chance to pass the PS2 around December 2027
With price cut for sure.
It's nice to see PS5 outselling Switch in Japan, even if it was only for a week. We'll see what March's numbers look like
Wonder how Switch will sell once Switch 2 drops. Might be a dramatic drop? Or maybe not.
Why Xbox sales are down? monster hunter was available for on series sx as well, F!
because Japan has never liked Xbox
Every country aside from the US does not like Xbox.
There are probably more 2nd hand PSP's being sold in Japan than Xbox
There looks to be stock issues with the Series X
The issue is no one is buying them!
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