Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive Mario Kart World Is Selling Faster Than OG Switch Launch Title Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Japan
In Japan, Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World has sold more physical copies in the first three days on sale than Switch 1 launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild managed in its first three days.
According to Famitsu, Mario Kart World has sold a huge 782,566 copies in Japan already, making it the top-selling game for the week from June 2 to June 8. It is worth noting, however, that Famitsu's figures only cover physical, preinstalled-on-console, and Game-Key Card sales from retail outlets. They do not include digital downloads direct from My Nintendo Store, so the total number of Mario Kart World sales is likely far higher.
In contrast, the Switch edition of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold an estimated 193,060 copies in Japan over the first three days after the original Switch's launch back in 2017, according to Famitsu's figures. This means that in Japanese retail sales alone, Mario Kart World has sold around four times more copies than Breath of the Wild initially did on Switch 1.
This is hardly surprising, considering the Switch 2 is Nintendo's fastest selling hardware to date, shifting over 3.5 million units worldwide in the first four days. In fact, Nintendo's latest console is outselling the original Switch 2-to-1 (no pun intended). The supply-constrained Switch 1 got off to a much slower start, selling 2.74 million units globally in just under a month.
Over the first three days post-launch, physical Switch 2 games saw strong sales in Japan. Switch 2 titles accounted for half of Famitsu's top 10, with Switch 2 editions of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (No. 6, 10,877 copies), Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (No. 7, 7,992 copies), Zelda: Breath of the Wild (No. 8, 7,529 copies) and Yakuza 0 (No. 9, 7,486 copies) entering the charts. Elden Ring: Nightreign (PS5) was the only non-Switch title at No. 5.Although Mario Kart World may be racing ahead of Breath of the Wilds' initial launch figures in Japan, it remains to be seen if it will eventually catch up with the critically acclaimed Zelda game's total sales. Especially considering that BOTW just got a Switch 2 HD rerelease, which may prompt fans to purchase the game all over again.
Check out our Mario Kart World guide and learn how to unlock every hidden Mario Kart World character, plus how Kamek Unlocks work — you'll need them to unlock NPC Drivers. We've also got a guide to all the Mario Kart World food scattered across the open world and where to find it, which will help you get all the Mario Kart World outfits and costumes permanently.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
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