The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console in Japan with 151,166 units sold for September 2026, according to VGChartz estimates. The Nintendo Switch 2 has now sold an estimated 6.57 million units lifetime.
The PlayStation 5 sold an estimated 45,766 units to bring its lifetime sales to 7.75 million units. The Nintendo Switch 1 sold an estimated 40,033 units to bring its lifetime sales to 37.08 million units. The Xbox Series X|S sold 1,546 units to bring their lifetime sales to 0.71 million units.
Switch 2 sales compared to the same month for the Switch 1 in 2018 are down by over 64,000 units as the Switch 1 sold 215,314 units in Japan in September 2018.
PS5 sales compared to the same month for the PS4 in 2019 are down by nearly 73,000 units, while the Xbox Series X|S compared to the same month for the Xbox One are up by nearly 700 units. PS4 sold 118,620 units for the month of September 2019 and Xbox One sales were at 853 units.
Nintendo Switch 2 sales compared to the same month a year ago are down by 68,757 units (-31.3%). Nintendo Switch 1 sales are down by 67,392 units (-62.7%), PlayStation 5 sales are down by 60,351 (-56.9%), and Xbox Series X|S sales are down by 435 units (-22.0%).
Looking at sales month-on-month, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are up by over 48,000 units, Nintendo Switch 1 sales are up by over 9,000 units, PlayStation 5 sales are up by nearly 12,000 units, and Xbox Series X|S sales are up by nearly 1,000 units.
2026 year-to-date, the Nintendo Switch 2 has sold an estimated 2.46 million units, the Nintendo Switch 1 has sold 0.57 million units, the PlayStation 5 has sold 0.42 million units, and the Xbox Series X|S has sold 0.02 million units.
Monthly Sales:
Japan hardware estimates for September 2026 (Followed by lifetime sales):
- Switch 2 – 151,166 (6,567,680)
- PlayStation 5 – 45,766 (7,749,760)
- Switch 1 – 40,033 (37,081,304)
- Xbox Series X|S – 1,546 (707,877)
Weekly Sales:
Japan September 5, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 – 25,251
- Switch 1 – 11,938
- PlayStation 5 – 7,796
- Xbox Series X|S – 130
Japan September 12, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 – 29,470
- Switch 1 – 7,787
- PlayStation 5 – 7,523
- Xbox Series X|S – 161
Japan September 19, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 – 35,714
- PlayStation 5 – 7,883
- Switch 1 – 5,875
- Xbox Series X|S – 274
Japan September 26, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 – 33,486
- PlayStation 5 – 9,767
- Switch 1 – 6,495
- Xbox Series X|S – 365
Japan October 3, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 – 27,245
- PlayStation 5 – 12,797
- Switch 1 – 7,938
- Xbox Series X|S – 616
VGChartz Methodology: Hardware estimates are based on retail sampling and trends in individual countries, which are then extrapolated to represent the wider region. This typically allows us to produce figures that end up being within 10% of the actual totals.
This data is regularly compared against official shipment figures released by the console manufacturers and figures estimated by regional trackers with greater market coverage than ourselves. We then update our own estimates to bring them into line with those figures. This can result in frequent changes often within a short space of time, but we feel it’s important to prioritise accuracy over consistency.
Note that our estimates are based on sell-through data (units sold to consumers). In almost all cases the figures released by console manufacturers are based on shipment data (sell-in), where as soon as a device has left the factory and entered the supply chain for delivery it is considered a sale. This is why there is always a difference between the companies’ figures (sell-in) and VGChartz estimates (sell-through), even after we’ve made adjustments. The one exception to that is when a console has been discontinued and the remaining stock has finally sold out – at that point the figures will match.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D’Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
Full Article – https://www.vgchartz.com/article/469389/switch-2-best-seller-all-consoles-fall-yoy-japan-hardware-estimates-for-september-2026/
