Pokemon Scarlet and Violet is Japan's highest-selling game for 2022, with Nintendo continuing its dominance

With 2022 having come to a close, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's popularity has made itself known in Japan. According to the end-of-year sales published by Famitsu, the Generation IX Nintendo Switch titles were the highest-selling games in Japan last year.

According to Famitsu's figures, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have sold a collective 4,338,931 units since their release on November 18, 2022. This is even more impressive considering the two titles arrived at the end of the year but managed to outsell several other AAA games released much earlier.

The Pokemon franchise possessed two titles in the top three for sales, with Scarlet and Violet taking the top spot and Legends: Arceus coming in at third behind Splatoon 3.

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How did Pokemon Scarlet and Violet reach the top of Japan's sales charts in 2022?

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet were met with a relatively rocky start due to glitches and performance issues (Image via Game Freak)

While Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's sales may not have indicated it, there was a fair amount of controversy surrounding the Generation IX titles even before they were released.

Some players lamented the visuals, pointing out that the landscape and creature textures felt outdated compared to many contemporary video games, even those on the Nintendo Switch.

After launch, Scarlet and Violet were beset by a litany of bugs and performance issues. These include players clipping through floors, their character models becoming distorted, or massive framerate drops for inexplicable reasons.

Criticisms aside, Scarlet and Violet still sold 2.5 million units in Japan in their first week, and sales remained steady throughout the end of 2022. Praise has been given to the games for their open-world layout, quality-of-life improvements, and the inclusion of Paradox Pokemon and Tera Raid battles.

The franchise, as a whole, has also enjoyed continued success for years, with the Generation IV remakes Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl being the second-highest-selling games in Japan in 2021.

Less than two months since the worldwide debut of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Game Freak appears to be far from finished with the Nintendo Switch titles. Speculation has circulated on upcoming DLC additions, and Game Freak has rotated various events over the course of 2022-2023, including special Tera Raids featuring popular Pocket Monsters like Charizard, Cinderace, and Eevee.

While every game eventually tapers off in sales, these Generation IX titles appear to be pushing full steam ahead in 2023. They may remain among the top sellers for the foreseeable future in Japan and elsewhere.