Shigeru Miyamoto discusses if any Nintendo Switch 2 game could surpass Mario Kart in sales

Shigeru Miyamoto reflected on whether new Nintendo Switch 2 titles could outsell Mario Kart, noting its lasting appeal

Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto has shared his thoughts on whether any upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 title could surpass Mario Kart as the company’s best-selling game.

Currently, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is the top-selling title on the Nintendo Switch, with nearly 70 million units sold. The next closest competitor, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, has reached around 50 million.

On the new Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World has already achieved over 9.5 million copies sold, while the console itself has an install base of just over 10 million.

During Nintendo’s investor Q&A on 5 November, Miyamoto was asked if a future game could ever outsell Mario Kart. He responded:

“At Nintendo, we always approach our work with the belief that there are no limits. For example, when we attempted film with The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it was compared to the box office receipts of other films. However, even if we were to reach number one on that list, I believe there is always something even better.”

He added that the “entertainment world has no limit” and that Nintendo’s goal is to create experiences that reach new audiences globally. Miyamoto suggested that if Nintendo’s intellectual property or systems offered something “never before seen,” it might be possible to exceed even Mario Kart’s success.

However, he acknowledged the franchise’s enduring strength: “Even if that situation were to occur, Mario Kart would likely continue to sell even more in that arena, so it may never be surpassed.”

Miyamoto also recalled a conversation with Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri, who once joked that “if you want to surpass Nintendo’s Mario, you’ll have to sell two copies of the software to each customer,” a comment that inspired the dual releases of Pokémon Red and Green.