#Japan #Tokyo #Nintendo Switch 2 #Pokémon LEGENDS #Mario Kart

2025: A Landmark Year for the Japanese Home Video Game Market

The latest report from Famitsu, a comprehensive gaming information media, reveals a remarkable growth in the Japanese home video game market for 2025. The market size is expected to reach a staggering 418.1 billion yen.

This meteoric rise is largely attributed to the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, which hit the shelves in June 2025. By the end of the year, a magnificent 3.784 million units were sold, marking a significant increase compared to its predecessor.

Additionally, the software market also saw massive growth, particularly with the bundled titles for the Switch 2. The game _Mario Kart World_, released on June 5, 2025, became an instant hit, selling 2.668 million copies and securing the top position in the sales rankings. The report highlights that the hardware sales for other platforms were also impressive, with 1.520 million Nintendo Switch units and 879,000 PlayStation 5 units sold.

Software sales were not limited to _Mario Kart World_. Another title making waves is _Pokémon LEGENDS Z-A_, released on October 16, 2025, for both the Switch 2 and the original switch. This game sold a total of 2.534 million copies, making it a strong competitor against _Mario Kart World_ in the sales rankings as well.

The total sales figure for home consoles and packaged software combined saw an impressive annual growth of 138.8%. With hardware sales amounting to 282.69 billion yen (up 149.3% from the previous year) and packaged software sales reaching 135.44 billion yen (up 121.0%), the data underscores the exponential growth of the gaming industry in Japan.

As we look ahead, 2026 promises to bring even more excitement to the gaming scene with anticipated titles such as _Dragon Quest VII Reimagined_ set to release on February 5, 2026, and _Resident Evil Requiem_ scheduled for February 27, 2026, both targeting the Switch 2 and PS5 platforms. The potential for further market expansion appears bright, thanks to the Nintendo Switch 2.

It is worth noting that this report includes in-store and mail-order sales figures but excludes digital sales, downloadable content, and microtransactions. The data is gathered over 52 weeks, from December 30, 2024, to December 28, 2025, offering a comprehensive look into consumer trends in the gaming market during that period.

Famitsu has been instrumental in tracking these developments, operating various services such as the weekly Famitsu magazine and the gaming-focused website, Famitsu.com. Their insights contribute significantly to understanding the current and future landscape of the video game market in Japan.

For more detailed updates and information, you can visit Famitsu’s Official Website.

In conclusion, the robust growth in 2025 demonstrates the resilience and dynamic nature of Japan's gaming market, driven by innovative new hardware and beloved titles. It will be fascinating to observe how these trends evolve in the upcoming year.

Additional Notes

• - The data referenced in this article comes from Famitsu and is essential for understanding the ongoing transformations in Japan's gaming industry.
• - Acknowledgement to Kadokawa Game Linkage and Kadokawa ASCII Research Institute for contributing to the research metrics that inform these findings.