Famitsu Sales: Switch 2 Dominates Japan as Rhythm Heaven Leads

Aug 20, 2026

Nintendo continues to hold a commanding position in Japan, with the latest Famitsu sales data showing Nintendo Switch 2 comfortably leading hardware sales while Rhythm Heaven Groove dominates the physical software chart.

The newest report covers a two-week period from August 3 through August 16, 2026, due to the recent Japanese holiday period. During those two weeks, Switch 2 moved an estimated 65,560 units, while Rhythm Heaven Groove added another 139,363 physical copies to its already impressive total.

Meanwhile, Beast of Reincarnation delivered the strongest debut among new releases, giving PlayStation 5 a significant presence near the top of a chart otherwise dominated by Nintendo platforms.

Rhythm Heaven Groove Continues Its Impressive Run

Rhythm Heaven Groove isn’t slowing down.

The Nintendo Switch release claimed the No. 1 position in Japan with another 139,363 physical copies sold during the two-week reporting period.

That brings its estimated Japanese retail total to an impressive 873,839 copies.

The performance is particularly notable considering the continued transition toward Nintendo Switch 2. Despite being an original Switch release, Rhythm Heaven Groove is proving there is still an enormous audience for games on Nintendo’s previous-generation hardware.

It also wasn’t the only original Switch title performing well.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream took fourth place with another 43,884 copies, pushing its physical sales total in Japan to more than 1.56 million.

Splatoon Raiders Holds Strong at No. 2

Nintendo Switch 2’s Splatoon Raiders remained one of Japan’s strongest-selling games, taking second place with 64,921 additional physical copies.

Its retail total has now reached 613,147 copies.

That’s another strong performance after Splatoon Raiders topped the previous Famitsu report with 73,542 copies sold during the July 27 through August 2 period.

The continued performance suggests Splatoon Raiders has substantial staying power in Japan rather than relying solely on its initial launch window.

Beast of Reincarnation Scores the Biggest New Debut

The biggest new release of the period belonged to PlayStation 5.

Beast of Reincarnation debuted in third place with an estimated 48,157 physical copies sold, making it the highest-selling new game during the reporting period.

While that wasn’t enough to overcome Rhythm Heaven Groove or Splatoon Raiders, landing third represents a strong opening against Nintendo’s substantial presence in the Japanese market.

It was also the only PlayStation 5 game to crack Famitsu’s physical top 10 for the period.

Pokémon Pokopia Passes 1.1 Million Physical Sales

Another Switch 2 title continues to quietly build an impressive sales total.

Pokémon Pokopia finished fifth with another 14,235 copies, bringing its Japanese physical sales total to approximately 1.11 million units.

That makes Pokémon Pokopia one of multiple Nintendo titles currently demonstrating considerable longevity in Japan.

Meanwhile, Mario Kart World added another 11,377 copies to take eighth place. Its Japanese physical sales total now stands above 3 million copies.

Minecraft Just Keeps Selling

Then there’s Minecraft.

The Nintendo Switch edition of Minecraft landed in seventh place with another 12,351 copies sold.

More remarkable is its lifetime Japanese physical total: approximately 4.26 million copies.

Years after its original Switch release, Minecraft remains capable of competing with major new releases on Japan’s physical software chart.

Few games demonstrate long-term sales momentum quite like it.

Japan’s Top 10 Physical Games

According to Famitsu’s estimates, the top 10 physical releases for August 3 through August 16 were:

Rhythm Heaven Groove — Switch — 139,363
Splatoon Raiders — Switch 2 — 64,921
Beast of Reincarnation — PS5 — 48,157
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream — Switch — 43,884
Pokémon Pokopia — Switch 2 — 14,235
Powerful Pro Baseball 2026-2027 — Switch — 12,887
Minecraft — Switch — 12,351
Mario Kart World — Switch 2 — 11,377
Ganbare Goemon Daishuugo — Switch — 8,052
eFootball Kick-Off — Switch 2 — 6,961

The breakdown is difficult to ignore: nine of the top 10 games were released on either Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2.

Beast of Reincarnation was the lone PlayStation 5 representative.

Nintendo Switch 2 Easily Leads Hardware Sales

Nintendo’s advantage becomes even clearer when looking at hardware.

Switch 2 sold an estimated 65,560 units during the two-week period.

The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition came in a distant second with 19,310 units, followed by the Switch Lite at 9,084 and Switch OLED at 4,590.

Famitsu’s hardware estimates were:

Nintendo Switch 2: 65,560
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: 19,310
Nintendo Switch Lite: 9,084
Nintendo Switch OLED: 4,590
Nintendo Switch: 1,346
PlayStation 5 Pro: 360
PlayStation 5: 285
Xbox Series X Digital Edition: 53
Xbox Series X: 41
Xbox Series S: 41

Combined, the PlayStation 5 family sold approximately 19,955 units, while the original Switch family accounted for another 15,020 units. Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles combined for just 135 units.

That means Switch 2 by itself sold more than three times as many units as the entire PlayStation 5 family during the reporting period.

Nintendo’s Two-Generation Strategy Is Working in Japan

Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the latest Famitsu report isn’t simply that Switch 2 is selling well.

It’s that both generations of Nintendo hardware continue to support major software sales simultaneously.

Switch 2 has Splatoon Raiders, Pokémon Pokopia and Mario Kart World inside the top 10. The original Switch still has Rhythm Heaven Groove, Tomodachi Life, Powerful Pro Baseball, Minecraft and Ganbare Goemon Daishuugo.

Rather than Switch 2 immediately replacing its predecessor, Nintendo currently has two platforms feeding into the same enormous ecosystem.

The result is extraordinary dominance of Japan’s physical software market.

Sony did secure an important win with Beast of Reincarnation’s strong PS5 debut, but Nintendo still occupied nine of the 10 positions on Famitsu’s latest physical software chart.

And with Switch 2 comfortably leading hardware sales as well, Nintendo’s grip on its home market remains remarkably strong.

Famitsu’s figures are estimates of Japanese retail sales and the software rankings discussed here cover physical copies rather than total physical and digital sales.