50% Of All Consoles Sold In France Were Nintendo Switch In 2022

The Switch keeps on shattering milestones despite aging for over half a decade.

By Shahmeer Sarfaraz January 16, 2023

Nintendo Switch accounted for half of the console sales in France last year, selling over 987,000 units; its total sales now hover over 7.09 million.
It outperformed the competition and surpassed various milestones along the way; Switch dethroned Nintendo Wii and the PlayStation 4 last year in total sales in France. However, Nintendo DS stands above all by selling over 10 million units.
As per Philippe Lavoué, Nintendo France's general manager, one in ten people are owners of a Nintendo Switch. The Switch continues to overtake the competition in various regions around the globe, including the UK, Japan, Germany, and the like.
Out of the top ten, nine titles were Switch games, and FIFA 23 was the only non-Switch title on the sales charts. Pokemon reportedly achieved a "historic year" in 2022.

Ever since its release over 6 years ago, Nintendo Switch has matured to be among the best-selling portables in the globe. It often competes on equal grounds with next-gen consoles in sales and demand. The handheld is especially popular in certain parts of the world, such as Japan and continental European regions like France.

The latest reports by various French sites like BFMTech&Co further congealed its concrete stance in the European region last year. The general manager of Nintendo France revealed alluring results for the Switch last year, and the portable reportedly performed greatly in terms of sales performance and software releases.

One of the most eye-catching revelations was the fact that Nintendo Switch accounted for France’s half of console sales in 2022. In other words, the little giant sold enough copies to match the rest of the 50 percent competition in the country. It was possible because Switch seemingly rolled over 987,000 units last year.

Almost a million sales in 2022 have bumped up the Switch’s overall sales in France, selling a total of 7.09 million units in the country since its inception. As per Philippe Lavoué, the general manager of Nintendo France, the handheld has broken the previous record held by the Wii, which has sold 6.3 million units in the country thus far.

Moreover, it was only recently reported that the Nintendo Switch crossed PlayStation 4’s total sales in France, which has rolled over 6.0 million units. Nintendo Switch reigns supreme in popularity and demand in France. Philippe gave us a prominent figure to cement the rage around the Switch in France alone.

10.5% of the 67 million French people are equipped with a Switch,” noted Philippe Lavoué, the general manager of Nintendo France.

In other words, 1 out of 10 people in France owns a Nintendo Switch. However, another console is still looming over the portable, which is its older brother, Nintendo DS. As per the general manager, the best-selling Nintendo console of all time in France is seemingly the Nintendo DS console, with over 10 million sales.

The general manager of Nintendo France, Philippe Lavoué, also brought glad tidings concerning the 2022’s games sales charts. A staggering nine out of ten best-selling entries in France were Nintendo Switch games last year. FIFA 23 was the only non-Switch game to appear on the charts riddled with games by Nintendo.

The credit primarily goes to the Pokemon games that have jumped charts all over the globe. Philippe said Pokemon has achieved “a historic year” that is “unheard of for a franchise in France.” Meanwhile, the recent Pokemon Scarlet and Violet surpassed over 700,000 copies sold together.

Nintendo Switch has also been performing valiantly against the other contenders in the United States, as it was 2022’s best-selling console in the UK. The portable is hardly ever crossed by its rivals in Japan and continues to maintain a high number of sales. The Switch is also cherished a lot in regions like Germany, and more.

What are your thoughts about the Nintendo Switch still selling like hotcakes in continental Europe and garnering 50 percent of total consoles sales last year in France? Do you think that Nintendo’s handheld will continue its conquest throughout the globe for years to come? Do let us know your opinions in the comments below.

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