Since it launched about six years ago, the Nintendo Switch has helped Nintendo to bounce back from the dark days of the Wii U. While the quality of the games themselves may be a subjective metric, the Switch has solidly outdone the Wii U on one very important objective metric: sales.
The top 20 Nintendo Switch games have all outsold the No. 1 best-selling Wii U game, with the top-selling Switch game selling more than six times as many copies. Here’s a closer look at the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games as of December 2022.
Best-selling Nintendo Switch games
10. Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!
With 15.07 million copies sold, Pokémon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! are the first of three sets of Pokémon games to appear on this list. These Kanto re-remakes launched in November of 2018, drawing inspiration from the popular mobile game Pokémon GO.
They also continued the long-held tradition of main series Pokémon games launching two at a time. Like other Pokémon games on this list, these games were counted together rather than separately, since they are basically two versions of the same game.
9. Ring Fit Adventure
Ring Fit Adventure, the spiritual successor to the Wii Fit series, has sold 15.22 million copies. Much like Wii Fit’s Balance Board, this exercise-focused experience came with its own specific hardware, namely the Ring-Con and the Leg Strap.
Although the game first launched in October of 2019, Ring Fit Adventure saw a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning it its spot among the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games. With gyms around the world shutting down, many gamers turned to this game as a way to stay healthy.
8. Super Mario Party
Super Mario Party has sold 18.79 million copies up to now. When it launched in October of 2018, this game brought to the fore many of the elements that made previous Mario Party games great, while also introducing new and innovative mechanics.
With over 20 playable characters, Super Mario Party has the largest roster of any Mario Party game to date. Along with making Bowser fully playable in a Mario Party game for the first time, this game boldly asked the question, “What if a Goomba could ride a tricycle?”
7. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet
Less than two months after their launch in November of 2022, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet skyrocketed into the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games list, a testament to the widespread popularity of the Pokémon franchise. In the short time since they became available, these games have sold 20.61 million copies.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet expanded on the formula established in Pokémon Legends: Arceus, presenting the most open-world experience of any Pokémon game to date. In another series first, this game allowed players to take on challenges and earn Badges in any order they preferred.
6. Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is one of three Super Mario games on this list and is the only main series Mario game to make the cut. It launched in October of 2017 and has sold 25.12 million copies. The game took a sandbox approach to create the most extensive 3D Mario experience to date.
During his odyssey, Mario joined forces with Cappy, an anthropomorphic hat, for the first time. In addition, Super Mario Odyssey introduced Pauline — who debuted alongside Mario in the original Donkey Kong game in 1981 — to the main Mario series for the first time.
5. Pokémon Sword and Shield
With 25.68 copies sold, Pokémon Sword and Shield are the highest-ranking Pokémon titles on this list. Notably, these games expanded the accessibility of competitive battling in Pokémon, enabling trainers to borrow rental teams created by others, among other things.
Likewise, Pokémon Sword and Shield defined online competition for the Video Game Championship amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite launching in November of 2019, Sword and Shield had their first and only in-person VGC World Championships in 2022.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the oldest game and the only multi-platform title on this list. It was a launch title for the Switch in March of 2017. The game also debuted on the Wii U at the same time. Over the past five years, it has sold 29 million copies.
Breath of the Wild was the forerunner to open-world games that would later come to other Nintendo series, such as Mario Odyssey and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. As a result, it is no surprise that its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, is one of the most highly-anticipated games of 2023.
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The pinnacle of Nintendo esports, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, has climbed into the top three of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games list by selling 30.44 million copies. Notably, it has outdone the combined sales of the 3DS and Wii U versions of the previous Super Smash Bros. title.
Smash Ultimate launched in December of 2018 with the promise that “everyone is here,” as it brought back every character from previous Smash titles and added several more. Even in the wake of the cancellation of the Smash World Tour Championships, the competitive Smash Ultimate scene continues to thrive.
2. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Perhaps no other game on this list was a product of its time more than Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It came out in March of 2020, just as a global health crisis took away the world’s ability to congregate in-person. Without the option to leave their homes, many people turned to Animal Crossing as their go-to social destination.
Players used this social simulation game in creative ways to host a number of events. These ranged from graduation ceremonies to political campaigns. Due to the freedom of expression offered to players through this game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons sold a whopping 41.59 million copies.
1. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Fittingly, Nintendo’s mascot and most iconic character has solidly cemented his spot at the top of the list of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games. Mario Kart 8 initially launched on the Wii U in 2014. However, it got the Deluxe treatment for the Switch in April of 2017 like many other Wii U games.
The decision paid off in a huge way; while the Wii U version had sold less than nine million copies, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold a staggering 52 million copies. When counting both versions of the game collectively, Mario Kart 8 is the sixth best-selling video game of all time.
This crossover experience included characters from The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing and Splatoon, along with plenty of classic Mario characters. In addition, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is still receiving consistent waves of downloadable content even now that the base game is nearly a decade old.
