Top 20 Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 05 June 2025 / 22,009 Views
Today marks the official launch of the next video game console from Nintendo - Nintendo Switch 2 - with a launch lineup that includes Mario Kart World, Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, and many more.
To celebrate the launch of the Switch 2 lets take a look back at the top 20 best-selling games on the original Switch. One game - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - has managed to sell nearly 70 million units. It has sold 68.20 million units as of March 31, 2025.
One other game - Animal Crossing: New Horizons - sold over 40 million units with 47.82 million units sold. There were two games that sold in the 30 millions as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sold 36.24 million units and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold 32.81 million units.
There were five original Switch games to sell in the 20 millions. Super Mario Odyssey sold 29.28 million units, Pokémon Scarlet / Violet sold 26.79 million units, Pokémon Sword / Shield sold 26.72 million units, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom sold 21.73 million units, and Super Mario Party sold 21.16 million units.
The rest of the top 20 sold over 10 million units. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe sold 18.25 million units, Nintendo Switch Sports sold 16.27 million units, Super Mario Bros. Wonder sold 16.03 million units, Ring Fit Adventure sold 15.38 million units, Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee sold 15.07 million units, and Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl sold 15.06 million units.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus sold 14.83 million units, Luigi's Mansion 3 sold 14.25 million units, Mario Party Superstars sold 14.00 million units, Splatoon 2 sold 13.60 million units, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury sold 13.47 million units.
In the top 20 best-selling games there were seven games that featured Mario in the title, as well as five Pokémon games. There are also two The Legend of Zelda games.
There are two games to sell over 40 million units on the original Switch, four games to sell over 30 million units, nine games to sell over 20 million units, 21 games to sell over 10 million units, 28 games to sell over five million units, 54 games to sell over two million units, and 101 games to sell over one million units. This is according to available data released by Nintendo and third-party companies.
The Nintendo Switch has shipped 152.12 million units worldwide as of March 31, 2025 and is on track to surpass the Nintendo DS to become the best-selling Nintendo platform of all-time. If Nintendo hits its forecast the Switch will be at 156.62 million units shipped at the end of March 2026.
VGChartz estimates have the Switch at 150.36 million units sold to consumers through April 2025. The console is 3.66 million units behind lifetime sales of the Nintendo DS.
Nintendo has set a forecast for the Nintendo Switch 2 at 15 million units from its launch today until the end of March 2026.
Here are the top 20 best-selling Nintendo Switch games:
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 68.20 million
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons - 47.82 million
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - 36.24 million
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 32.81 million
- Super Mario Odyssey - 29.28 million
- Pokémon Scarlet / Violet - 26.79 million
- Pokémon Sword / Shield - 26.72 million
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 21.73 million
- Super Mario Party - 21.16 million
- New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - 18.25 million
- Nintendo Switch Sports - 16.27 million
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder - 16.03 million
- Ring Fit Adventure - 15.38 million
- Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu/Eevee - 15.07 million
- Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl - 15.06 million
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus - 14.83 million
- Luigi's Mansion 3 - 14.25 million
- Mario Party Superstars - 14.00 million
- Splatoon 2 - 13.60 million
- Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - 13.47 million
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 follow the author on Bluesky.
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Just to confirm. Are these the 20 best selling Switch games or the 20 best selling Switch games published by Nintendo or Pokémon Company?
In this case, it's the same thing. ;-)
The first game outside the top 20 is Monster Hunter Rise. (source wikipedia).
Yeah, I thought MH Rise and a couple of others sold over 10 million, but I wasn’t sure if any sold over 13 million to challenge that top 20.
Thank you!
Realistically Minecraft is above 13.47m on Switch, but we don't get console breakdowns for its sales.
More than likely, good point.
Yes, Minecraft would most likely be in the top 20, if not the top 10, on Switch. Sadly, Microsoft hasn't given a breakdown by platform.
Totally wondering the same thing. I was thinking possibly a Just Dance game or Monster Hunter Rise might be in there, but I guess not lol. Crazy the Top 20 is 100% published by Nintendo/Pokémon Company.
MHR did crack the top 20 on launch.
There is much to think about with the Switch success really. If we are to assume it's a direct replacement for the handheld and home console market, then they went from Wii/DS selling over 250mil to only just making 150 mil for the Switch but considering the modern market with mobile gaming a dedicated gaming system which caters for all reaching the amount it did is impressive.
This is shown in it's games, nearly all top titles pretty much doubled their Wii counterparts in sales. Zelda barely hit 10mil before. Truely amazing numbers.
Mario Kart 8 is what over 75mil with Wii U sales?
Don't think that logic works if you're trying to measure how many people are playing their hardware.
I'm sure there was a lot of crossover between the DD and wii. It might have been 250 million units, but it would almost certainly be less than 200M individuals.
I think software is probably the best barometer of success as that's what makes them money. Based on that the Switch gen is likely Nintendos most successful generation.
The Wii and DS sold over 900 million games each, which is insane to think about! Now the Switch by itself has sold 1.4 billion games. And with the Switch continuing to get sold for who knows how much longer, it could get very close to selling just as many games as the Wii and DS did combined!
It was such a nice era in the sense that it got more core Nintendo franchise back to the forefront. Wii and Wii U were family and casual game oriented, so seeing 2 Zelda, 3D Mario, smash in the top 10 is great, and many more franchise got a boost too. It's the healthiest Nintendo IPs have been, but still we also saw third party original games and ports have great success on Switch. It sum, the Switch healed what was wounded by the Wii era, which was a success but did a lot of damage to the brand.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are the second highest selling pokemon games, and yet they are not in the top 5, let that sink in.....
No surprise. Nintendo's own games have been their bread and butter since the NES.
Love to see PLA in the top 20
Only Pokémon game I've actually really enjoyed in the last decade
Really wish it would get a Switch 2 patch but that probably wont happen lol
I think given enough time, the entire top 10 will have 20 million+ sales. However, I do not know if if the #10 slot will stay with Mario or if it will be surpassed by Switch Sports.
