Mario Kart World on Switch 2 Tops Zelda in Japan Launch

In Japan, the Nintendo Switch 2 launch title Mario Kart World has already surpassed the physical sales of the Switch 1 launch title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild within the first three days of release.

According to Famitsu, Mario Kart World sold an impressive 782,566 physical copies in Japan during the week of June 2 to June 8, making it the top-selling game for that period. It's important to note that Famitsu's data only includes physical copies, pre-installed console versions, and Game-Key Card sales from retailers, and does not account for digital downloads from the My Nintendo Store. Therefore, the actual total sales for Mario Kart World are likely significantly higher.

In comparison, the Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sold approximately 193,060 copies in Japan during its first three days following the original Switch’s launch in 2017, based on Famitsu data. This means Mario Kart World has sold roughly four times more physical copies in Japan than Breath of the Wild did at the start of the Switch 1 era.

This strong performance is not surprising, given that the Switch 2 is Nintendo’s fastest-selling hardware to date, moving over 3.5 million units worldwide in its first four days. In fact, the new console is outselling the original Switch by a 2-to-1 ratio (no pun intended). The supply-limited Switch 1 had a much slower start, with 2.74 million units sold globally in nearly a month.

Physical Switch 2 games enjoyed strong sales in Japan during the first three days post-launch. Half of Famitsu's top 10 titles were Switch 2 games, including Switch 2 versions 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). Elden Ring: Nightreign (PS5) was the only non-Switch title on the list, coming in at No. 5.

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Although Mario Kart World is off to a faster start than Breath of the Wild in Japan, it remains to be seen whether it will ultimately match the total sales of the critically acclaimed Zelda title. This is especially true given that Breath of the Wild recently received an HD re-release for the Switch 2, which may encourage fans to repurchase the game.

Check out our Mario Kart World guide to learn how to unlock all hidden characters, understand Kamek Unlocks, and use them to access NPC Drivers. We also have a guide to all the Mario Kart World food items scattered throughout the open world and their locations, helping you permanently unlock all outfits and costumes.