The Nintendo Switch has been a monumental success for Nintendo, surpassing 139 million units sold and approaching the all-time console sales record set by the PS2. However, when comparing it to Nintendo’s previous hardware releases in terms of both hardware and game sales, some interesting insights emerge.
The Switch stands out as Nintendo’s best-selling home console to date, but it falls short of the Nintendo DS, which has sold over 150 million units across its various versions. Conversely, the Wii U, apart from the Virtual Boy, ranks as Nintendo’s least successful system, selling only 13.56 million units and just over 100 million games during its lifespan.
Nintendo seems keen to move past the Virtual Boy era, as evidenced by its absence from the company’s official website. It’s evident that the Virtual Boy did not perform well in terms of sales.
One notable achievement for the Switch is that it’s the first Nintendo console to surpass 1 billion games sold, with the current count standing at over 1.2 billion. The Nintendo DS platform follows closely behind with 948.76 million games sold.
Looking to the future, rumors suggest that Nintendo is preparing to unveil its next console, tentatively referred to as the Nintendo Switch 2. While anticipation is high given the Switch’s success, any official announcements remain pending. For the latest updates on Nintendo developments, stay tuned to GameSpot.
Stats Recap
10: Wii U – 13.56 million units sold, 103.6 million games sold
9: Nintendo 64 – 32.93 million units sold, 224.97 million games sold
8: SNES – 49.1 million units sold, 379.06 million games sold
7: NES – 61.91 million units sold, 500.01 million games sold
6: Nintendo 3DS – 75.94 million units sold, 391.85 million games sold
5: Game Boy Advance – 81.51 million units sold, 377.42 million games sold
4: Wii – 101.63 million units sold, 921.85 million games sold
3: Game Boy – 118.69 million units sold, 501.11 million games sold
2: Nintendo Switch – 139.36 million units sold, 1.2 billion games sold
1: Nintendo DS – 154.02 million units sold, 948.76 million games sold
