Here are Japan’s top-selling 100 games last year, and not an Xbox title to be seen

The top 100 best-selling games in Japan in 2023 list has been compiled by Weekly Famitsu, and it makes grim reading for Xbox, and to be fair, not much better for Sony.

Physical game sales were added up from the end of December 2022 to December 2023 and, surprising nobody, was completely dominated by Nintendo’s Switch, with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom claiming the top spot.

Of the top 100 Xbox did not claim a single spot, while Sony managed to get 18 spaces on the chart. The rest was a tale of total Nintendo domination, with the top three comprised of Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pikmin 4, which pushed out Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, joining Zelda.

To be fair to Xbox, which already knows it has a low user base in Japan, with the sales chart comprising only physical sales, and in the main the Xbox being a digital-first console it could explain away the reasons to some extent.

Sony improved its position in 2022, but the continued domination in Japan of Nintendo’s last-gen hardware is a testament to the enduring popularity of the brand there.

With the growing expectation that the Nintendo Switch 2 could arrive as early as the end of this year, Sony in particular will be keen to get into a position where the percentage of the marketplace it does hold, does not decrease significantly in the coming two years.

Top 100 Selling games in Japan 2023

(via Frontlinejp.net)

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) – 1,939,603
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Switch) – 1,549,401
3. Pikmin 4 (Switch) – 1,119,027
4. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Switch) – 907,432 (Total 5,246,363)
5. Momotaro Dentetsu World: Chikyuu wa Kibou de Mawatteru! (Switch) – 795,681
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch) – 617,223 (Total: 5,631,598)
7. Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe (Switch) –  514,581
8. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince (Switch) – 510,477
9. Splatoon 3 (Switch) – 503,312 (4,191,126)
10. Super Mario RPG (Switch) – 447,687
11. Minecraft (Switch) – 434,216 (3,394,222)
12. Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) – 429,330
13. Nintendo Switch Sports (Switch) – 359,127 (1,246,849)
14. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Switch) – 335,084 (5,400,275)
15. Mario Party Superstars (Switch) – 257,641 (1,371,773)
16. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Switch) – 250,450 (7,645,654)
17. Fire Emblem Engage (Switch) – 222,235
18. Ring Fit Adventure (Switch) – 188,513 (3,507,396)
19. Hogwarts Legacy (PS5) – 187,840
20. Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa Heisei Reiwa mo Teiban! (Switch) – 176,594 (2,959,527)
21. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5) – 166,731
22. Taiko no Tastsujin: Dondaful Festival (Switch) – 161,965 (277,216)
23. Sekai no Asobi Taizen 51 (Switch) – 160,091 (1,214,978)
24. ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON (PS5) – 154,828
25. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) –149,398 (2,263,599)
26. Jinsei Game for Nintendo Switch (Switch) – 147,308
27. Resident Evil 4 (PS4) – 145,123
28. WarioWare: Move It! (Switch) – 141,554
29. Resident Evil 4 (PS5) – 140,889
30. Detective Pikachu Returns (Switch) – 137,528
31. Gran Turismo 7 (PS5) – 130,780 (348,793)
32. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch) – 115,106 (1,084,153)
33. Dragon Quest Treasures (Switch) – 198,403
34. Super Mario Party (Switch) – 112,679 (2,232,637)
35. Octopath Traveler II (Switch) – 106,592
36. Super Mario 3D World + Fury World (Switch) – 102,124 (1,209,757)
37. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Special Price (Switch) – 99,834 (118,599)
38. ARK: Survival Evolved (Switch) – 92,442
39. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PS4) – 91,169
40. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (Switch) – 88,918 (1,309,357)
41. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name (PS5) – 87,551
42. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Switch) – 84,269
43. Hogwarts Legacy (Switch) – 82,367
44. Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE (Switch) – 82,225
45. Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life (Switch) – 78657
46. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet + The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero (Switch) – 76,112
47. Pokémon Diamond and Pearl (Switch) – 75,770 (2,682,713)
48. Tsuri Spirits: Tsutte Asoberu Suizokukan (Switch) – 75,558 (155,582)
49. ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON (PS4) – 75,364
50. Super Mario Maker 2 (Switch) – 72,917 (1,337,876)
51. Human Fall Flat (Switch) – 72,737 (382,304)
52. Super Mario Odyssey (Switch) – 71,164 (2,451,965)
53. Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch) – 71,138 (947,865)
54. Fashion Dreamer (Switch) – 68,012
55. eBASEBALL Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2022 (Switch) – 66,667 (314,533)
56. Street Fighter 6 (PS5) – 66,413
57. Pikmin 1+2 (Switch) – 66,388
58. FIFA 23 Legacy Edition (Switch) – 64,260 (128,725)
59. The Battle Cats Unite! (Switch) – 62,895 (243,700)
60. EA SPORTS FC 24 (Switch) – 58,862
61. Hogwarts Legacy (PS4) – 58,333
62. Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Set (Switch) – 57,777 (351,250)
63. Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS4) – 57,198
64. WILD HEARTS (PS5) – 55,668
65. Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection (Switch) – 53,909
66. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (PS5) – 53,485
67. ONE PIECE ODYSSEY (PS4) – 52,438
68. Fate/Samurai Remnant (Switch) – 50,407
69. Natsumon! 20-Seiki no Natsuyasumi (Switch) – 49,804
70. Street Fighter 6 (PS4) – 49,603
71. Like a Dragon: Ishin! (PS5) – 49,278
72. Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion (Switch) – 48,056 (109,189)
73. Forspoken (PS5) – 47,181
74. DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age (New Price) (Switch) – 46,819 (288,763)
75. Pokémon Sword and Shield (Switch) – 46,326 (4,436,508)
76. Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (Switch) – 46,273
77. Minecraft Legends (Switch) – 45,243
78. Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Switch) – 44,591 (2,359,397)
79. ONE PIECE ODYSSEY (PS5) – 44,285
80. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + Additional Course Pass (Switch) – 44,007
81. Star Ocean: The Second Story R (Switch) – 42,014
82. Infinity Strash: DRAGON QUEST The Adventure of Dai (Switch) – 41,982
83. Diablo IV (PS5) – 41,173
84. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (PS5) – 39,676
85. Kirby Star Allies (Switch) – 38,323 (1,061,095)
86. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Switch) – 38,129 (110,029)
87. Persona 5 Tactica (Switch) – 36,462
88. Tales of Symphonia Remastered (Switch) – 35,794
89. Xenoblade 3 (Switch) – 35,756 (214,026)
90. Dragon Quest X Offline (Switch) – 35,289 (287,317)
91. ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 Deluxe Edition (Switch) – 34,814
92. EA SPORTS FC 24 (PS5) – 33,878
93. Horizon Forbidden West (PS5) – 33,830 (166,542)
94. Wo Long: Fallen Destiny (PS4) – 33,060
95. Super Bomberman R2 (Switch) – 32,756
96. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 (Switch) – 31,549
97. Fitness Boxing: Fist of the North Star (Switch) – 31,255 (49,087)
98. Winning Post 10 (Switch) – 30,817
99. Minecraft Dungeons Ultimate Edition (Switch) – 30,726 (127,951)
100. Fate/Samurai Remnant (PS5) – 30,392

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