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)

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