Switch 2 Sales Jump Due to Pokemon Pokopia - Japan Hardware Estimates for March 2026 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted 3 days ago / 8,491 Views
The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console in Japan with 448,494 units sold for March 2026, according to VGChartz estimates. The Nintendo Switch 2 has now sold an estimated 5.15 million units lifetime.
The Nintendo Switch 1 sold an estimated 97,544 units to bring its lifetime sales to 36.76 million units. The PlayStation 5 sold an estimated 76,989 units to bring its lifetime sales to 7.50 million units. The Xbox Series X|S sold 2,380 units to bring their lifetime sales to 0.70 million units.
Switch 2 sales compared to the same month for the Switch 1 in 2018 are up by nearly 222,000 units as the Switch 1 sold 226,987 units in Japan in March 2018.
PS5 sales compared to the same month for the PS4 in 2019 are down by nearly 64,000 units, while the Xbox Series X|S compared to the same month for the Xbox One are up by nearly 2,000 units. PS4 sold 140,518 units for the month of March 2019 and Xbox One sales were at 501 units.
Nintendo Switch 1 sales compared to the same month a year ago are down by 64,300 units (-39.7%). PlayStation 5 sales are down by 44,909 (-36.8%) and Xbox Series X|S sales are up by 854 units (56.0%).
Looking at sales month-on-month, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are up by nearly 165,000 units, Nintendo Switch 1 sales are up by over 11,000 units, PlayStation 5 sales are up by nearly 29,000 units, and Xbox Series X|S sales are down by over 1,000 units.
2026 year-to-date, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sold an estimated 1.05 million units, the Nintendo Switch 1 has sold 0.26 million units, the PlayStation 5 has sold 0.17 million units, and the Xbox Series X|S has sold 0.01 million units.
Monthly Sales:
Japan hardware estimates for March 2026 (Followed by lifetime sales):
- Switch 2 - 448,494 (5,150,270)
- Switch 1 - 97,544 (36,759,194)
- PlayStation 5 - 76,989 (7,500,001)
- Xbox Series X|S - 2,380 (698,261)
Weekly Sales:
Japan March 7, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 132,608
- Switch 1 - 23,805
- PlayStation 5 - 16,859
- Xbox Series X|S - 489
Japan March 14, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 100,827
- Switch 1 - 19,978
- PlayStation 5 - 12,917
- Xbox Series X|S - 299
Japan March 21, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 84,779
- Switch 1 - 18,798
- PlayStation 5 - 14,155
- Xbox Series X|S - 212
Japan March 28, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 68,354
- PlayStation 5 - 19,460
- Switch 1 - 18,578
- Xbox Series X|S - 444
Japan April 4, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 61,926
- Switch 1 - 16,385
- PlayStation 5 - 13,598
- Xbox Series X|S - 936
VGChartz Methodology: Hardware estimates are based on retail sampling and trends in individual countries, which are then extrapolated to represent the wider region. This typically allows us to produce figures that end up being within 10% of the actual totals.
This data is regularly compared against official shipment figures released by the console manufacturers and figures estimated by regional trackers with greater market coverage than ourselves. We then update our own estimates to bring them into line with those figures. This can result in frequent changes often within a short space of time, but we feel it's important to prioritise accuracy over consistency.
Note that our estimates are based on sell-through data (units sold to consumers). In almost all cases the figures released by console manufacturers are based on shipment data (sell-in), where as soon as a device has left the factory and entered the supply chain for delivery it is considered a sale. This is why there is always a difference between the companies’ figures (sell-in) and VGChartz estimates (sell-through), even after we’ve made adjustments. The one exception to that is when a console has been discontinued and the remaining stock has finally sold out – at that point the figures will match.
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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Wow. That's even higher than October (the month in which Legends Z-A released) and November (Holiday month with Kirby Air Riders). Almost as many units moved as January WW. Who would've thought a game like Pokopia would create such a surge in demand?
its honestly surprising how much of a hit pokopia was, but i guess it makes sense. Its pokemon x animal crossing, that has to be a dream combination for the casual crowd
"The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console in Japan..."
Japan sales have become boring, because the above quote is all you will hear for the next decade?
Japan Golden week is from April 29th to May 6th, those Switch 2 sales are gonna be crazy
I knew Pokopia was gonna be a hit. It was kinda obvious actually. Glad to see thdse numbers
I'm guessing that Switch 2 is going to take March 2026. I'm curious as to how Pokopia affected the North American and European markets.
PS5 price increase demand surge reaction might allow PS5 to stay ahead in March
Walmart and Amazon both showed more Switch 2 sales during March than PS5 sales in the US.
