Nintendo Switch overtaken by Beyblade in Japanese boys’ most wanted Christmas present ranking 

A survey by a Japanese children’s comic recently found that Beyblade was a more sought-after Christmas present than a Nintendo Switch console in 2024. The results also gave insight into how Japanese elementary school children typically tend to enjoy the holiday season. 

Between November 15 and December 13, 2024, CoroCoro Comic asked elementary school boys about their Christmas expectations and memories (as reported by Pach Plus). When asked what they were most looking forward to at Christmas, 91.8% said receiving presents. This was followed by eating cake (12.7%) and having a meal (10.7%). 

When asked what they wanted for Christmas, almost 10% of the boys replied with Beyblade X (9.9%). Beyblade received more answers than the Nintendo Switch console (Lite and OLED models) in second place (at 6.6%), video games in third place (6%) and Pokémon trading cards in fourth place (4.5%). 

Beyblade debuted in 1999, spawning a manga and anime series. Since then, the spinning top-style toys and their launchers have become popular in countries around the world, with some 5 billion Beyblade tops selling in the US by 2003 (El Paso Times). Twenty years later in 2023, the toy’s fourth generation Beyblade X was released complete with a new manga and anime. Beyblade X had a big push in marketing, with real life tournaments showing how the toy’s fanbase now spans multiple generations, helping it maintain its enduring popularity (source: Forbes). 

It’s also possible that many of the kids surveyed already have a Nintendo Switch, or maybe they are hoping that Santa will bring them a Switch 2 once it releases. After all, the 7^th most popular answer to the question about “your most memorable Christmas moment” was receiving a Nintendo Switch console.