Famitsu retail charts reveal surprising platform ratios that could reshape Square Enix’s multi-platform release plans.
These days, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined has been changed by something. This could be the reason why Dragon Quest 12 and Kingdom Hearts 4 are taking so long to come out from Square Enix. It’s not the only reason, but it could be a big deal when you think about how risky it is to make games these days, what modern development needs, and how the market is changing, especially in Japan, where Dragon Quest is huge and every new game is huge.
Some very interesting things can be learned from the most current Famitsu sales numbers for Japan. These numbers only show sales in stores, not online. There were a lot of sales of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined from February 2, 2026, to February 8, 2026. The game first went on sale around February 5, 2026. 456,552 people bought the game on all devices. It went straight to the top of the charts in Japan for both the Nintendo Switch 2 and the Nintendo Switch when it came out digitally.
The platform split is what really makes things interesting.
Switch was where the game sold the most copies, with 177,653 sold. It sold 160,1 units on Nintendo Switch 2, which is more than the 118,798 units it sold on PlayStation 5. In Japan, Nintendo Switch 2 has by far the fewest installations of the three devices. Still, it sold almost as many copies as the first Switch and a lot more than the PS5. Square Enix knows that things have changed.
Based on these numbers, you can guess how Dragon Quest 12 will go. A lot of money is on the line, and the people who are making games can’t risk being behind when a new game comes out. You can put a lot more money into Dragon Quest 12 than Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined. When it comes to Nintendo Switch 2, Square Enix needs to make sure that all of the major devices are always fully supported.
We believe this is a main reason why Dragon Quest 12 is taking longer than planned. It’s possible that the company wants to work on a big Nintendo Switch 2 version so that all of them will enjoy the game when it comes out. You know it will be a big deal, especially in Japan. There may not even be a Nintendo Switch version at this point. The PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 may be the only ones that get it.
This place has passed too. It came out in 2017 for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4, but not at the same time for the Nintendo Switch, even though that system was already out. That pushed things back by two years. In order to make the Switch version work with Unreal Engine 4, Square Enix had to rebuild the PS4 version.
Later, that choice led to better versions of Dragon Quest 11 S, which had more features and were better than the first PS4 release, but the images were not as good. It makes sense for the business not to want that to happen again. Dragon Quest 11 sold a lot of copies around the world, but it probably cost a lot of time and money because it came out late and had tech problems. This time, it looks like Square Enix will have all of their tools ready at the same time.
Things might get even more complicated if Unreal Engine 5 is used to make Dragon Quest 12.
A lot of devices have had trouble with Unreal Engine 5, and it would take a lot of work to make it work better on the Nintendo Switch 2. The process of making a game takes a long time because of all the testing, bug fixes, adding new features, making sure the game is balanced, adding voice acting in different languages, and adding content for the ending.
Looks-wise, these games are like other turn-based RPGs, but there is always more to do. The question of when comes up, too. Even though development is important, the business plan is even more so. The worst thing that can happen to a brand is for a secret to be shown at the wrong time. As there are now more RPGs than ever, Square Enix likely wants Dragon Quest 12 to be a big deal when it comes out.
That could mean it’s time for a big Nintendo Direct. Nintendo Direct shows have been great for talking about Dragon Quest in the past. People in Japan and all over the world would pay close attention to a reveal on a popular show right away. That must be really exciting, especially if the Nintendo Switch 2 version was shown off in a big way.
Even more evidence for this idea comes from statistics on hardware sales.
When the holidays are over, sales slow down, but the Nintendo Switch 2 sold 65,87 units in Japan in just one week. It’s clear that Square Enix is keeping an eye on things since so many people want to play it.
Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined could sell 160,000 units on Switch 2, which has a base of about 4.3 million systems, but only 118,000 units on PS5, which has a base of about 7 million systems, and 177,000 units on the original Switch, which has a base of 35 million systems. This shows us a lot about the market.
It looks like this would change how choices are made. Many people haven’t yet bought the Nintendo Switch 2, but in Japan, people are really excited about it and playing with it. That’s important for a series like Dragon Quest that is very important to art.
Another interesting part is the talk about key cards. Some people thought that players wouldn’t want key card versions, but Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined proved that they would buy a game whether it was digital or on a key card. Strong intellectual property (IP) can get around format problems. This is something that Square Enix might think about when they are making plans for Dragon Quest 12.
A bunch of Dragon Quest games have been re-released by the company.
Some are HD-2D remakes and some are brand new. It looks more and more like it’s almost time to show off the next big major game. Producers have told fans many times that Dragon Quest 12 is still being worked on, but there isn’t much else to know at this point. Most of the time, that silence means that someone is getting ready for a big show.
We believe the business is carefully considering when to release Dragon Quest 12 and making sure the platform is ready so there are no issues when it does. Dragon Quest 11 should be released on multiple platforms at the same time on the first day. A lot of Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined were sold, and the Nintendo Switch 2 quickly became a big hit.
There should be a clear plan for how Dragon Quest will grow before it’s finally shown, which could happen at a Nintendo Direct. The game should also have finished gameplay. There is a lot at stake. Lots of people, mostly in Japan, are excited about this series, so Square Enix knows how important it is to get it right from the start.
There are many signs that the wait is not because there is nothing to do, but because everything is being planned out fully. In the market today, time, economy, and platform alignment are all very important. From recent sales, it looks like Dragon Quest 12 will be a big deal. The Nintendo Switch 2 will play a big role in that.
