Nintendo Switch becomes best selling console ever in France

The Nintendo Switch has become the best selling console of all time in France.

According to French publication Le Figaro, the Switch has sold 7.09 million units in the country since its launch in 2017, taking over the record previously held by the Nintendo Wii.

The latter had been the record holder for the past decade, having sold 6.3 million units. Le Figaro clarified that handheld consoles were excluded from the breakdown.

Nintendo France managing director Philippe Lavoué told the publication that 987,000 Switch units were sold in 2022 in the country, which made it the best selling console for the year as well.

He added that one in every two consoles sold in France in 2022 was a Switch, with a quarter of French households now owning one.

Among the best selling Switch games of the year, Pokémon performed really well, with Violet and Scarlet selling a combined 701,000 physical copies, and Arceus shifting 575,000 boxed units.

Lavoué added that "more than half of Switch owners have bought Mario Kart 8" over the years, with the 2017 title selling 445,000 physical copies in 2022 alone.

Here's the top physical Switch games sold in France in 2022 (full market figures are due to be shared by French games trade body SELL in March):

1. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet (701,000 units)
2. Pokémon Arceus (575,000)
3. Mario Kart 8 (445,000)
4. Nintendo Switch Sports (425,000)
5. Mario Strikers (264,000)
6. Splatoon 3 (254,000)
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (253,000)
8. Kirby and the Forgotten Land (214,000)

You can read our full report on the European market in 2022 here.

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