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Nintendo Switch Becomes the Bestselling Console in History: What This Means for Gaming
It's not often that a single piece of hardware dominates an entire generation of gaming. But the Nintendo Switch just did something remarkable—it became the bestselling console in Nintendo's entire 130-year history. Let that sink in. Not the NES. Not the Game Boy. Not the Wii, which everyone thought would reign supreme forever. The Switch, a humble hybrid device that lets you play games on a TV or in your hand, just cracked a milestone that seemed impossible just five years ago.
As of December 31, 2025, Nintendo reported that the original Switch has sold 155.37 million units worldwide, officially surpassing the Nintendo DS's lifetime total of 154.02 million units. That's not a squeaker either. The Switch has been clawing its way up the all-time charts for nearly a decade, and the fact that it's still selling in meaningful numbers—3.25 million units in Nintendo's most recent fiscal quarter—while its successor, the Switch 2, is out in the wild, speaks volumes about what this console means to the gaming industry.
But here's where it gets even more interesting. The Switch 2, Nintendo's next-generation hardware released just months before this milestone was announced, is already reshaping expectations about what a Nintendo console launch looks like. With 17.37 million units sold by the end of the quarter, it's already beaten the Wii U's entire lifetime sales and is closing in on the GameCube. This is a company that knows how to build momentum.
What makes this story so compelling isn't just the raw numbers. It's what these numbers represent about how gaming has fundamentally changed. The Switch didn't win because it had the most powerful processor or the flashiest graphics. It won because it solved a problem nobody else had managed to crack: how do you make console gaming portable without sacrificing real games? That's a question that's haunted the industry for decades, and the Switch answered it so perfectly that it's now the most successful gaming hardware of all time.
In this deep dive, we're going to explore how the Switch pulled off this remarkable feat, what it means for the future of Nintendo, where the Switch 2 is headed, and why this milestone matters far beyond Nintendo's bottom line.
TL; DR
- The Switch is now Nintendo's bestselling console ever with 155.37 million units sold, surpassing the DS
- Switch 2 is outpacing all previous Nintendo launches, with 17.37 million units sold in under a year
- The original Switch is still selling despite being 9 years old with 3.25 million units in the latest quarter
- Play Station 2 remains the only console ahead with over 160 million units; Switch could overtake it in 2-3 years
- Software sales remain dominated by the original Switch with 47.37 million games sold vs 17.31 million for Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch showed remarkable sales growth, reaching an estimated 125 million units by 2023, driven by a strong game library and hybrid console appeal. Estimated data.
The Road to 155 Million: A Console That Refused to Age
When the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, the conventional wisdom in gaming was pretty clear: handheld consoles were dying. The Nintendo 3DS was puttering along, the Play Station Vita had already been abandoned, and everyone assumed that smartphones had won the handheld gaming war. The idea that Nintendo could launch a hybrid console that was both a home console AND a portable device was considered risky, if not outright foolish.
But Nintendo's designers and engineers had spent years thinking about what modern gaming actually needed. They understood something fundamental that other companies had missed: gamers don't want to choose between playing at home and playing on the go. They want both, sometimes in the same session. The solution was elegant in its simplicity. Create a device with interchangeable controllers (the Joy-Cons), a dockable screen, and a robust game library that could appeal to everyone from hardcore fans to casual players.
That first year was crucial. While the Switch faced typical hardware launch challenges—stock shortages, a limited game library—Nintendo released The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on launch day. This wasn't a launch window game. It was a launch day game, and it was widely regarded as one of the best games ever made. Having a masterpiece available from day one transformed the Switch from an interesting experiment into a must-have device.
But what really separated the Switch from other Nintendo consoles wasn't just the first-year performance. It was the staying power. Year after year, Nintendo continued to release significant new games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became the best-selling Mario Kart game ever. Animal Crossing: New Horizons launched during a global pandemic when people were desperate for connection and escape, and it became a cultural phenomenon. Pokémon games released regularly. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate arrived as perhaps the most comprehensive fighting game ever made. Ring Fit Adventure turned exercise gamers into a massive market segment.
The Switch's library strategy was fundamentally different from previous generations. Rather than frontloading massive titles and then having a drought, Nintendo maintained consistent releases. This prevented the console from ever feeling "old" in the way that other hardware eventually does. Even in years seven, eight, and nine of its lifecycle, the Switch was still getting significant new first-party releases.
Then there was the pricing strategy. Nintendo released three versions of the original Switch: the standard model, the portable-focused Switch Lite (launching in 2019), and the premium Switch OLED model (launching in 2021). Each iteration served a different market segment and price point. The Lite captured people who didn't need to dock their console. The OLED appealed to those willing to pay a premium for a better screen and more storage. This diversification kept the Switch relevant across multiple price tiers for nearly a decade.
Even when the Switch 2 was announced and launched, Nintendo didn't immediately discontinue the original hardware. Instead, it positioned the older Switch as an "entry-level" option. For anyone who couldn't or wouldn't spend $450 on the new console, the original Switch was still available at a lower price. This is a bold strategy that essentially acknowledged the original console's strength—it's good enough that people still want it even when a newer option exists.
The Switch 2 offers the highest performance and price, while the Switch Lite was the most affordable option. Estimated data.
The Nintendo DS Legacy: Why Reaching 155 Million Is Historic
To understand how significant the Switch's achievement is, you need to understand what the Nintendo DS represented in gaming history. When the DS launched in 2004, it wasn't universally loved. Game critics questioned the dual-screen design. Industry analysts worried about the more modest processing power compared to the Play Station 2. Some prominent voices in gaming said the DS was a gimmick that would fade away.
They were profoundly wrong. The DS became one of the most important gaming devices ever made, not because of what the hardcore players wanted, but because of what it meant to the broader market. The touch screen opened up new genres of games. Brain Age became a phenomenon that made gaming respectable to adults who had never considered themselves gamers. Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire proved that beloved franchises could thrive on less powerful hardware. The DS library eventually included over 3,500 games across its lifetime.
The DS sold 154.02 million units over nearly 12 years in production. That made it the second-bestselling console of all time, behind only the Play Station 2. For nearly two decades, that number seemed untouchable. The idea that any future console could match it seemed unlikely in an era where console transitions typically lasted 5-7 years.
The Switch accomplished what the DS did—appeal beyond hardcore gamers—but with a crucial twist. The Switch offered genuine home console experiences while also being fully portable. You could play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild docked to your TV with a Pro Controller, or grab the same game and play it on a train. That flexibility was something the DS, for all its brilliance, couldn't offer.
What made the Switch's path to 155 million different from the DS's path to 154 million was timing and market conditions. The DS launched in an era when gaming was rapidly expanding beyond traditional audiences. The Switch launched in an era where gaming had already become mainstream, but where the industry was still somewhat fragmented between mobile gaming, console gaming, and handheld gaming. The Switch convinced people that those categories didn't need to exist separately.
The Switch also had something the DS didn't fully leverage: a robust online ecosystem. While the DS had online play via Wi-Fi connection, the Switch integrated online services into its core design from day one. This meant that games felt more connected, more social, and more alive throughout the console's lifecycle.
The Games That Made It Happen: Software Driving Hardware Sales
You don't sell 155 million consoles without software that makes people want those consoles. The Switch's software library wasn't the largest in terms of total games, but it included some of the most important gaming experiences of the past decade.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is often cited as the single most influential game the Switch ever released. Launch day, perfect reviews, completely changed how open-world games are designed. It proved that the Switch had the horsepower for ambitious AAA experiences while also proving that raw processing power wasn't the only thing that mattered in game design.
But it wasn't just the flagship first-party titles. The Switch succeeded because it had depth across multiple genres. You had Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which became the bestselling Mario Kart game ever with over 70 million copies sold. You had Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which sold over 45 million copies and became a cultural phenomenon during the pandemic. You had Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with over 35 million copies sold, making it the bestselling fighting game of all time. You had Pokémon games that consistently hit over 10 million copies per release.
Beyond Nintendo's own titles, the Switch attracted strong third-party support that previous Nintendo consoles sometimes struggled to get. The Witcher 3, DOOM, Fortnite, Minecraft—games that traditionally were thought to require cutting-edge hardware—came to the Switch, sometimes in scaled-down but fully playable versions. This third-party support was crucial because it meant the Switch wasn't just a Nintendo game machine. It was a general gaming platform.
During the most recent fiscal quarter, Nintendo reported selling 47.37 million Switch games compared to 17.31 million Switch 2 games. That's a ratio of roughly 2.7 to 1 in favor of the original console, which has been on the market for nine years versus the Switch 2's less than one year. This demonstrates that the installed base of original Switch owners is still actively gaming on their hardware.
Mario Kart World, which launched as a pack-in game for many Switch 2 consoles, became the bestselling game of the fiscal year with 14.03 million units. But Pokémon Legends Z-A sold 12.3 million units across both Switch versions, and Donkey Kong Bananza reached 4.25 million units. The original Switch continues to be the platform where the most games are sold.
This creates an interesting dynamic. The Switch 2 is the future, but the Switch is still the present. Many developers are releasing games for both platforms simultaneously, ensuring that Switch owners have new reasons to keep playing while also encouraging them to eventually upgrade when they're ready.
Nintendo Switch has generated over
The Switch 2: Already Rewriting the Records
If the Switch's achievement is remarkable, the Switch 2's early performance is genuinely astonishing. Nintendo launched the Switch 2 with an install base problem that would have devastated other consoles. There were 155 million people out there with original Switch consoles, plus thousands of games, plus a deeply entrenched ecosystem. Convincing even a fraction of those people to upgrade was an enormous challenge.
Yet by the end of December 2025—less than a year after launch—Nintendo had sold 17.37 million Switch 2 units. This makes it officially the fastest-selling dedicated video game platform that Nintendo has ever released. Let that sink in. Faster than the Wii (which was launching into a market where motion controls were still novel). Faster than the NES (which was relaunching gaming after the 1983 crash). Faster than the Game Boy (which created the handheld market).
Those 17.37 million units already represent more sales than the Wii U achieved in its entire lifetime (13.56 million units). The Switch 2 is approaching GameCube territory (21.74 million units). This is happening in just over a year, during a time when most analysts still consider the Switch 2 to be in its early-adoption phase.
What's driving this acceleration? First, the Switch 2 offers genuine performance improvements. Games look better. They run faster. Load times are shorter. For players who've been gaming on the original Switch for nine years, these improvements are tangible enough to justify the upgrade. Second, Nintendo timed major software releases to launch with the Switch 2. Mario Kart World shipping as a pack-in game meant that early adopters had a killer app from day one. Third, the gaming market has matured enough that console transitions happen smoothly now. People understand that old consoles don't disappear overnight. They understand that their old games will still work (mostly). They're comfortable with the upgrade path.
The Switch 2's success also suggests something important about Nintendo's market position. Despite facing competition from Play Station and Xbox, despite the existence of powerful gaming PCs and cloud gaming services, Nintendo has created something that people want. The Switch 2 is selling faster than previous-generation consoles partly because people understand what the Switch as a concept has given them. They want more of that.
Nintendo's financial projections suggest the Switch 2 will sell approximately 750,000 units in the next quarter. If that pace holds, we're looking at roughly 3 million units per quarter for the Switch 2, which would put it on pace for roughly 12 million units annually. At that rate, the Switch 2 could reach 100 million units sold in roughly 8-10 years, potentially becoming the third-bestselling console of all time by the early 2030s.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves. For now, the fact that the Switch 2 is off to such a strong start means that Nintendo's ecosystem will remain vibrant and relevant for the foreseeable future.
The Play Station 2 Problem: What Stands Between Switch and the Crown
So where is the Switch headed next? The only console ahead of it in all-time sales is the Play Station 2, which Sony says sold "over 160 million units" during its roughly 12-year lifespan. That's the last frontier for the Switch to conquer.
At first glance, 160 million to 155 million seems like a small gap. Only 5 million units separate them. But here's the complication: the original Switch is now in its ninth year on the market. Historically, consoles don't maintain strong sales in year nine. You'd expect sales to be tapering off by this point. And in fact, they are tapering off somewhat, even as the Switch 2 launches.
Nintendo's projections suggest that the original Switch will sell approximately 750,000 units per quarter going forward. That's a significant step down from the 3.25 million it sold in the most recent quarter. As the Switch 2 gains momentum and as more developers prioritize it, that number will likely continue to decline. If we assume the original Switch sells roughly 3 million units annually going forward (a substantial decline from its current pace), it would take another year or so to cross the PS2's 160 million threshold.
But there's uncertainty in those projections. Nintendo has been pleasantly surprised by the staying power of the original Switch before. It's also possible that price cuts could revitalize interest in the older model. And it's possible that the dual-console marketplace—where both the Switch and Switch 2 coexist—could actually extend the lifespan of original Switch sales.
What's more certain is that the Switch 2 will eventually overtake the PS2. Even if the original Switch stops selling tomorrow, the Switch 2's current trajectory suggests it could become the second-bestselling console of all time within 8-10 years. And if both consoles sell well together, that timeline could accelerate.
The PS2's 160 million represents a remarkable achievement in gaming history. That console dominated its generation, launched a massive library of games, and remained relevant for more than a decade. The Switch is doing something similar, but across a different kind of generational boundary. Where the PS2 captured the living room, the Switch captured portability. Where the PS2 was a pure home console, the Switch is a hybrid. These are fundamentally different categories, yet the Switch is matching the PS2's sales numbers. That speaks to the breadth of the Switch's appeal.
It's worth noting that several factors that helped the PS2 succeed are working against the original Switch now. The PS2 launched in an era where console transitions were a big deal, and most players would buy one console per generation. The Switch launched in an era where players are willing to own multiple devices. That fragmentation means that Switch sales are being split between the original console and the Switch 2, whereas the PS2 faced competition from the Xbox and GameCube but not from an immediate successor during its peak sales years.
The original Switch outsells the Switch 2 by a ratio of 2.7 to 1, highlighting its enduring popularity despite the newer model's release.
The Economic Impact: Why 155 Million Units Matters Beyond Gaming
When we talk about 155 million consoles sold, it's easy to get lost in the abstract number. But let's think about what that actually represents in terms of economic impact.
Each Switch console sells at a price point that has varied over its lifecycle. Launch price was
That means the original Switch hardware alone has generated roughly **
But the economic impact extends far beyond Nintendo. Game developers have made billions creating Switch software. Retailers have benefited from Switch-driven foot traffic and sales. Component manufacturers have benefited from the sustained demand for the console. The broader gaming industry has been shaped by the Switch's existence and success.
The Switch also created a new category of gaming that didn't exist before: AAA games on a fully portable device. That concept has attracted investment from other companies now trying to replicate the formula. Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and other handheld gaming devices exist in a world where the Switch proved that gamers would accept desktop-quality games on a portable form factor. That's had ripple effects across the entire industry.
From an employment perspective, the sustained success of the Switch over nine years meant sustained hiring at Nintendo and throughout the gaming supply chain. Studios were able to plan for longer development cycles because they knew there would be an audience. Publishers were willing to invest in Switch ports because they understood the install base.
In emerging markets, the Switch became an entry point to gaming for millions of people who might not have had access to expensive gaming PCs or the latest home consoles. The portability and affordability made it accessible to markets that traditional home consoles hadn't penetrated as effectively.
Active Users and Engagement: The Switch's Thriving Community
A console's success can't be measured solely in units sold. You also need to measure engagement. Are people actually using these consoles, or are they sitting on shelves gathering dust?
Nintendo reports that it had 129 million annual active users across its consoles in 2025. This is a number that's been essentially flat for the past three years. Nintendo recorded 128 million annual active users in 2023 and 130 million in 2024. The fact that this number hasn't grown significantly even as the Switch 2 launched and as the overall installed base reached its highest point is actually... interesting.
One interpretation is that engagement is reaching a plateau. You can only have so many people playing Nintendo games in a given year. Market saturation might be hitting. Another interpretation is that the metric itself is somewhat problematic. A person is counted as an "active user" if they play any Nintendo game in a year. For someone with a huge library and hundreds of hours of playtime, they count the same as someone who plays for an hour. The metric doesn't distinguish between light users and heavy users.
Still, 129 million active users annually is a remarkable number. That represents roughly 1.6% of the world's population playing a Nintendo game in a given year. That's higher than the population of Japan. It's comparable to the entire population of Russia. The scale of engagement is genuinely massive.
What the engagement numbers do tell us is that the Switch isn't a novelty. It's not a device that people bought once and then forgot about. People are returning to their Switch consoles regularly, playing new games, continuing with ongoing titles. The durability of the engagement is part of what's allowed the Switch to maintain sales throughout its lifecycle.
The Switch's community is also notable for its diversity. You have competitive esports communities around games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. You have casual multiplayer communities playing Mario Party. You have solo players working through massive single-player experiences like Pokémon or Zelda. You have parents and children playing Ring Fit together. You have speedrunners and achievement hunters pushing the limits of what these games can do.
This diversity of use cases and use patterns is partly why the Switch has maintained engagement across its entire lifespan. There's something for everyone, and because the game library is so deep, even long-term players are discovering new experiences to engage with.
Despite a price increase in August 2025, Nintendo Switch sales remained strong, with only a slight dip in Q3, followed by a recovery in Q4. Estimated data.
The Hardware Iterations: How Three Versions Captured the Market
One often-overlooked factor in the Switch's success is the way Nintendo managed hardware revisions and variations. Rather than simply releasing an improved version and discontinuing the old one, Nintendo created a tiered product lineup.
The original Switch launched at $299 in March 2017. This was the "full" experience with a dockable screen, TV connectivity, and removable controllers. For people who wanted the complete package, this was it.
In August 2019, Nintendo introduced the Switch Lite at
In October 2021, Nintendo introduced the Switch OLED model at
This three-tier strategy is remarkably sophisticated. It allows Nintendo to capture the budget-conscious buyer, the mainstream buyer, and the premium buyer simultaneously. Each tier is genuinely different enough that the choice between them is meaningful. But they all play the same games and can interact in the same online communities. This ecosystem approach means that fragmentation doesn't happen—everyone is part of the same Switch community regardless of which model they own.
When the Switch 2 launched in 2024, Nintendo didn't immediately discontinue the original models. The Switch OLED remained available at full price. The standard Switch was marked down to around $199. The Lite was discontinued, but its market segment was largely absorbed by the cheaper standard Switch. This strategy of maintaining a price tier of legacy hardware has continued to drive sales for the older console even as the Switch 2 ramps up.
Compare this to how previous console transitions typically worked. When the PS3 launched, the PS2 disappeared from shelves relatively quickly. When the Xbox 360 launched, the original Xbox was phased out. Nintendo's approach of maintaining price-point variety across generations is genuinely different and has proven to be a significant source of continued sales for the older hardware.
Regional Variations: How the Switch Conquered Global Markets
The Switch's success hasn't been uniform globally. Different regions have embraced the console at different rates, and understanding these regional variations provides insight into why the console succeeded so broadly.
Japan was an early and enthusiastic adopter. Nintendo's home market has always been strong, but the Switch resonated particularly well with Japanese gaming culture. The portable aspect aligned with Japanese gaming preferences, where handheld and mobile gaming had always been significant. By January 2022, the Switch had already surpassed the Famicom's lifetime sales in Japan alone. That regional success helped fund the console's expansion into other markets.
North America has been the Switch's largest market overall. The combination of strong first-party software, third-party support, and marketing has made the Switch a household name in the US and Canada. Games like Pokémon, Zelda, and Mario have always resonated with North American audiences, and the Switch made these franchises more accessible by being playable anywhere.
Europe has also been a major market for the Switch, though with some regional variations. The UK and Germany have been particularly strong markets. France has embraced the Switch strongly. Southern Europe has been somewhat slower to adopt, but the Switch has still performed well relative to previous Nintendo consoles in those regions.
Emerging markets have been an interesting story for the Switch. In regions where home console gaming is less established, the portability of the Switch has been a major selling point. The Switch Lite's lower price point made it particularly attractive in developing economies. While the Switch hasn't achieved the same market penetration in emerging markets as it has in developed ones, it has succeeded in reaching audiences that previous Nintendo consoles largely missed.
China, officially, doesn't have direct access to Switch hardware since Nintendo hasn't officially distributed there. However, unofficial imports and parallel markets have been significant. The lack of official presence in China is one of the few major markets where the Switch hasn't achieved full penetration, which makes the 155 million number even more impressive—it's entirely generated from official distribution channels.
Regional licensing variations have also meant that the Switch software library differs somewhat by region. Nintendo has worked with local publishers to bring region-specific titles to market. This localization approach has helped the Switch feel like a local product in different markets rather than a purely imported American console.
Nintendo's annual active users have remained stable around 129 million from 2023 to 2025, indicating a plateau in engagement despite new console launches.
The Software Sales Disparity: Why the Switch Still Dominates Switch 2
One of the most revealing statistics from Nintendo's recent financial reports is the gap between original Switch software sales and Switch 2 software sales. In the most recent quarter, the original Switch saw 47.37 million games sold, while the Switch 2 saw 17.31 million. That's a ratio of roughly 2.7 to 1 in favor of hardware that's nine years old.
This disparity exists for several reasons. First, the installed base difference is enormous. There are roughly 155 million Switch owners and roughly 17.37 million Switch 2 owners. In terms of raw user numbers, the Switch still has nearly 10x as many potential game buyers.
Second, the back catalog matters tremendously. Someone who bought a Switch in 2017 might have 50, 100, or even 200 games in their library already. New games are sold to people who want new experiences, but there's also a substantial tail of older games that continue to sell. The Switch had nine years to build up a massive back catalog. The Switch 2 has been out for less than a year, so its back catalog is still being built.
Third, some games are still being released on the original Switch only or on both platforms simultaneously. Developers have been somewhat cautious about abandoning the original Switch given its massive install base. The fact that you can sell a game to 155 million potential buyers is compelling, even if some of those games also release on Switch 2.
But the disparity also tells us something important: the Switch 2 is not yet cannibalizing the original Switch's game sales. The two platforms appear to be coexisting peacefully, with each serving different segments of the market. As the Switch 2's installed base grows, this disparity will inevitably shrink. Eventually, the Switch 2 will probably account for the majority of game sales. But for now, the original Switch remains the primary gaming platform for the vast majority of Nintendo's active players.
Mario Kart World's performance is instructive here. It sold 14.03 million units across both platforms in the fiscal year being reported. That's a staggering number for any game, but the fact that it's the bestselling game speaks to how important the first-party software is to Nintendo's business. A single game moved 14 million copies across hardware that costs
Competitive Landscape: Why Play Station 2 Is Still the Only One Ahead
When we talk about bestselling consoles of all time, we're really talking about four systems that stand apart from everything else: Play Station 2 (160+ million), Switch (155.37 million), Nintendo DS (154.02 million), and Game Boy/Game Boy Color (118.69 million).
It's remarkable that Nintendo holds three of the top four spots. The company has created categories and dominated them. The Game Boy created the handheld market. The DS created the dual-screen handheld market. The Switch created the hybrid console market. In each case, competitors tried to copy the formula and failed.
Play Station 2's position at the top is worth understanding. The PS2 launched in 2000 and dominated through the 2000s. It had Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, and countless other iconic franchises. It also benefited from DVD technology, which the competing Dreamcast and GameCube lacked. DVD players were relatively expensive technology at the time, and bundling it with a gaming console was a significant advantage.
But Play Station 2 held the top spot for 25 years. For a quarter century, no console came close. The PS3, despite its long lifecycle, never reached PS2's sales numbers. The Xbox 360 never reached it. The Wii came close but didn't pass it. The original Play Station didn't approach it. For console manufacturers, the PS2 was the measuring stick against which all consoles were judged.
Now the Switch is approaching that mark. It's doing it in a different way, across a different time period, with a different market dynamic. The Switch 2 will likely pass the PS2 eventually. Not in the next year or two, but probably within a decade, the Switch 2 could be in a position to challenge the PS2's crown.
What's interesting about this competitive landscape is how it reflects changing market dynamics. The PS2 dominated because it had the strongest exclusive games, a first-mover advantage in DVD integration, and benefited from a period when console transitions happened every 5-7 years and were final. The Switch succeeded because it created an entirely new category (the hybrid portable console), maintained engagement across nearly a decade, and managed the transition to its successor without completely abandoning the original platform.
Xbox and Play Station are still major players in the console market, but they're competing in a different category. Microsoft and Sony focus on power and performance. Nintendo focuses on innovation and accessibility. These aren't necessarily competing strategies—they're serving different customer needs. Someone who wants the most powerful console for AAA gaming might choose Play Station. Someone who wants to play anywhere might choose Switch. The markets can coexist.
Yet here's the thing: despite PS5 being a more powerful machine than Switch 2, despite Play Station having an enormous exclusive library, despite Sony being a larger company, the Switch is outselling Play Station in total units by a significant margin. That's not about power or corporate size. That's about making something that people want so badly they'll keep buying it even after nine years of production.
The Price Hike That Didn't Kill the Console
In August 2025, Nintendo did something bold and potentially dangerous. It raised the prices of the Switch across the board, citing "market conditions." The standard Switch went up to
Historically, price increases for aging hardware are risky. Consumers expect older products to get cheaper as new models arrive. Raising prices on nine-year-old technology seemed like it could be a mistake.
But Nintendo's pricing action appears to have been at least partially justified by the market's response. The Switch continued to sell strongly even after the price increase. In the quarter following the price hike, the Switch sold 3.25 million units, which is extremely respectable for aged hardware at a higher price point.
What explains this? Several factors. First, the Switch's value proposition remains strong even at
Third, Nintendo's pricing strategy appears to be extracting more revenue from each unit sold in the twilight of the original console's lifecycle. They recognized they could raise prices without destroying demand, and they did so. From a business perspective, this is smart—maximize revenue from the large installed base before that base starts transitioning to the Switch 2.
The price increase also has implications for the Switch 2. By raising the original Switch's price, Nintendo made the Switch 2 seem like a more reasonable upgrade choice. "Do you want the 9-year-old console for
This pricing strategy is worth studying as a case in how mature hardware should be priced during a generational transition. Nintendo recognized that demand for the Switch wasn't price-elastic enough to require discounts. They could maintain or even increase prices and the console would still sell in meaningful volumes. Few companies are confident enough to raise prices on aging hardware, but Nintendo's confidence appears to have been justified.
Looking Forward: The Switch's Final Years
We don't yet know exactly how long the original Switch will remain in production. Nintendo's history suggests that when a new console launches, the old one continues to be available for 2-4 additional years. The Wii continued to be sold for a couple years after the Wii U launched (though that's probably not the precedent Nintendo wants to follow). The DS remained available for years after the 3DS launched.
The original Switch will almost certainly remain available as a budget option for at least another 2-3 years. That suggests we could potentially see the Switch reach 160 million units sold and surpass the Play Station 2. Whether it actually gets there depends on whether Nintendo continues to produce units and whether demand remains strong enough to justify production.
What seems likely is that the Switch will eventually settle somewhere between 155 and 165 million units sold, making it definitively the second-bestselling console of all time, ahead of the DS and behind only the PS2. That's a remarkable achievement. It's a position that once seemed impossible.
The broader implications are significant. The Switch proved that console gaming could remain dominant in an era of mobile gaming and cloud gaming. It proved that innovation in form factor could matter as much as raw processing power. It proved that a company could maintain relevance across nearly a decade of console hardware production. It proved that games, not specs, are what sells hardware.
These lessons will influence console design and strategy for decades. The next generation of Xbox and Play Station will probably have lessons from the Switch baked in. Handheld gaming devices from other manufacturers are explicitly trying to replicate the Switch's hybrid approach. The Switch has become the new measuring stick against which gaming hardware is evaluated.
For Nintendo specifically, the Switch's success has provided tremendous financial breathing room. The company has reported record profits in multiple years, funded by the Switch's sustained sales. That profitability has allowed Nintendo to take risks, invest in new gaming experiences, and plan for the long term rather than reactively chasing trends.
The Switch 2 is off to an excellent start, but it has big shoes to fill. The original Switch will be remembered as one of the greatest gaming consoles ever made—not because it had the most powerful processor or the biggest library, but because it fundamentally changed what a gaming console could be. It brought console gaming to buses, trains, coffee shops, and bedrooms. It made gaming more accessible and more social. It created a new category that didn't exist before.
The Software's Role: Games That Defined a Generation
Before we finish examining this milestone, it's worth drilling deeper into the specific software that made the Switch's success possible. Hardware is important, but hardware without games is just an expensive paperweight.
Breath of the Wild launched with the Switch and immediately established the hardware as capable of delivering cutting-edge gaming experiences. The open-world design, the freedom of approach, the level of detail in the environment—these were things that the PS4 and Xbox One had been doing, but doing them on a portable device was genuinely impressive. That launch window game set the standard for what the Switch could achieve.
But Breath of the Wild was just the beginning. Nintendo followed up with Mario Odyssey, which reimagined 3D platforming. Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 created an entirely new shooter franchise that appealed to audiences who didn't traditionally buy shooters. Fire Emblem: Three Houses brought tactical RPG gameplay to mainstream audiences. Metroid Dread revived a franchise that hadn't had a major release in years. Bayonetta 2 was the first new entry in that franchise in several years.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe became a phenomenon, particularly in the Japanese market and among casual players. It eventually sold over 70 million copies, making it one of the most successful games ever made. That kind of success doesn't happen by accident. It happens because Nintendo refined the Mario Kart formula over decades and delivered it on a platform that invited multiplayer experiences.
Pokémon's performance on the Switch is its own story. Games like Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon Legends Arceus, and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet collectively moved over 100 million copies. Pokémon is Nintendo's most valuable franchise, and the Switch being the primary platform for that franchise meant that every Pokémon enthusiast needed to own a Switch.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons' timing can't be overstated. Launching in March 2020, just as lockdowns were beginning, the game became a cultural phenomenon. It sold over 45 million copies and provided comfort and escape during a period of uncertainty. Without that one game hitting at that exact moment, the Switch's trajectory might have been different.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is arguably the most comprehensive fighting game ever made, featuring every character that had ever appeared in a Smash Bros. game plus many new ones. It became the bestselling fighting game of all time with over 35 million copies sold. The competitiveness of the game, the accessibility for casual players, and the sheer amount of content made it the definitive Super Smash Bros. experience.
These are just the first-party heavy hitters. The third-party library was equally important. Doom, Fortnite, The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Minecraft—having major third-party games on the Switch, even in scaled-down versions, proved that the Switch was a legitimate gaming platform, not a toy for Nintendo exclusives.
The depth and breadth of the Switch's library is genuinely impressive. There are indie games that became industry sensations on the Switch, like Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Hades. There are games that never came to Switch but whose absence mattered less because of how much content was available. The Switch created a software ecosystem so robust that there was always something worth playing.
The Manufacturing Achievement: Building 155 Million Units
While most discussion focuses on the games and the market dynamics, it's worth acknowledging the manufacturing achievement of producing 155 million units of a single hardware product over nine years. That's not trivial.
The Switch's modular design—with Joy-Cons that detach, a replaceable battery, and components sourced from multiple suppliers—meant that production could be ramped up and ramped down relatively easily. When demand spiked (like during the pandemic when people wanted portable entertainment), Nintendo could increase production. When demand naturally slowed, production could be reduced.
The supply chain challenges that affected the gaming industry (particularly the global chip shortage of 2021-2022) impacted the Switch, but the Switch seems to have weathered those challenges better than some competitors. Part of this was luck, but part was also Nintendo's conservative approach to cutting-edge technology. By not always requiring the latest and greatest chips, the Switch had more supplier flexibility.
The longevity of the supply chain is also notable. Nintendo has maintained sufficient component availability to continue producing the Switch even nine years after launch. Most products don't remain in production for a decade. The fact that Nintendo can still manufacture new Switches speaks to the long-term relationships the company has with its suppliers.
There's also the complexity of managing three different hardware variations (standard, Lite, OLED) in production simultaneously for most of the Switch's lifecycle. That's a logistical challenge that requires careful planning and execution.
The manufacturing achievement is one of those behind-the-scenes stories that doesn't get much attention but is absolutely crucial to the console's success. You can't sell 155 million units if you can't manufacture them. The fact that Nintendo maintained production quality and quantity across nine years of manufacturing is genuinely impressive.
The Market Impact: What the Switch's Success Means for the Industry
The Switch's success has had ripple effects throughout the gaming industry that extend far beyond Nintendo's bottom line.
First, the success of hybrid gaming hardware has inspired others to try similar approaches. Valve's Steam Deck is explicitly designed to bring PC gaming to a portable form factor. The ROG Ally, the Legion Go, and other devices are attempting similar approaches. The fact that these devices exist at all is partly because the Switch proved there was a market for high-powered portable gaming.
Second, the Switch's success has changed how companies think about console lifecycles. The traditional model was: new console launches, old console gets discontinued, everyone moves to the new hardware. The Switch introduced the idea that multiple generations of the same console family could coexist and both be profitable. The Switch 2 is building on that approach, but the original Switch's continued availability and sales are the proof of concept.
Third, the Switch's success has influenced how companies think about innovation in hardware. It's become clearer that innovative form factors can matter as much as raw processing power. Companies are now asking "What new way can we let people play games?" not just "How powerful can we make the next console?"
Fourth, the Switch's success has been validating for Nintendo's entire corporate approach. The company bets on innovation and creativity over processing power. The Switch proved that bet was correct. That's influenced how Nintendo thinks about the Switch 2 and how they're positioning future hardware.
Fifth, the Switch's success has changed the economics of game development. Developers now plan Switch versions of games earlier in the development process rather than considering them ports of higher-powered versions. Games are increasingly designed with the Switch in mind from the beginning, which changes how the games are developed and what features make it into the final product.
Finally, the Switch's success has shifted perceptions about handheld gaming. For years, handheld gaming was perceived as a stepping stone to "real" console gaming. The Switch proved that handheld gaming could be the primary way people play AAA games. That perception shift is substantial and has influenced how the entire industry thinks about portable hardware.
FAQ
What is the Nintendo Switch?
The Nintendo Switch is a hybrid gaming console that combines home console and portable gaming capabilities. Released in March 2017, it features detachable controllers (Joy-Cons), a dockable screen, and portability that lets you play console-quality games anywhere. The Switch family includes the original model, the cheaper Switch Lite (discontinued), and the premium Switch OLED model.
How has the Switch become the bestselling console?
The Switch became the bestselling console through a combination of innovative hardware design, strong first-party game library, sustained software releases across its nine-year lifespan, diverse hardware options at different price points, and continued sales even after the Switch 2 launched. Games like Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons drove consumer interest, while the portable form factor appealed to audiences beyond traditional console gamers.
What is the difference between the original Switch and Switch 2?
The Switch 2 offers improved performance with faster processing speeds, better graphics, shorter load times, and enhanced online features compared to the original Switch. However, both systems play similar games and maintain backward compatibility in most cases. The Switch 2 is more powerful but also more expensive at
Why is the Switch still selling if the Switch 2 is available?
The original Switch continues to sell because it serves as an entry-level option for budget-conscious consumers, it maintains a massive installed base that drives continued software sales, many games are released for both platforms simultaneously, and Nintendo strategically positions it as an affordable alternative to the $449 Switch 2. The lower price point and established library make it attractive to new buyers who don't need the latest hardware.
Will the Switch eventually outsell the Play Station 2?
Yes, it's likely that the Switch family (both the original and Switch 2) will eventually exceed the Play Station 2's 160 million units sold, though the timeline is uncertain. The original Switch is projected to plateau around 155-160 million units, and the Switch 2's current sales trajectory suggests it could reach 100 million units within 8-10 years, potentially making the Switch family the bestselling console line of all time.
What games are the most popular on the Switch?
The bestselling Switch games include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (70+ million copies), Animal Crossing: New Horizons (45+ million), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (35+ million), and Pokémon games (over 100 million combined). In the most recent fiscal year, Mario Kart World led sales with 14.03 million units, followed by Pokémon Legends Z-A with 12.3 million units across Switch and Switch 2.
How many Switch consoles have been sold total?
As of December 31, 2025, Nintendo has sold 155.37 million original Switch units worldwide, making it the bestselling Nintendo hardware ever and the second-bestselling console of all time. The Switch 2 has sold an additional 17.37 million units since its launch less than a year prior.
What regions have the strongest Switch adoption?
Japan, North America, and Europe are the strongest Switch markets, with Japan showing particularly strong adoption of portable gaming. The Switch also succeeded in emerging markets where its affordability and portability made it more accessible than traditional home consoles. The official absence in China (due to lack of official distribution) is one of the few major markets where the Switch hasn't achieved full market penetration.
Conclusion: The Legacy of a Console That Changed Gaming
When the Nintendo Switch launched in March 2017, very few people predicted it would become the bestselling console in Nintendo's entire history. The company had just released the Wii U, a console so poorly received that Nintendo needed a redemption story badly. The Switch was that redemption, and it became so much more than anyone expected.
The milestone of 155.37 million units sold represents something remarkable: the success of a product that prioritized innovation and accessibility over raw power. The Switch proved that you don't need the fastest processor or the most advanced graphics to dominate the gaming market. You need something that solves a real problem—in this case, how to make console gaming truly portable—and you need games that make people want to use that solution.
The sustained sales across nine years of production, the three different hardware iterations serving different market segments, the continued game releases even as the Switch 2 launches, the active user base of 129 million people—these are all data points that paint a picture of a genuinely beloved console. People don't keep buying a nine-year-old gaming device out of obligation. They buy it because they want one.
What's equally remarkable is the position the Switch 2 is establishing for itself. With 17.37 million units sold in less than a year, it's already the fastest-selling dedicated Nintendo console ever. It's on track to potentially become the third-bestselling console of all time, behind only the PS2 and the original Switch. Nintendo has managed the transition between console generations in a way that's benefited both hardware platforms rather than cannibalizing one with the other.
For the broader gaming industry, the Switch's success has been a wake-up call. Handheld gaming isn't dead. Innovative form factors matter. Console gaming can thrive without being the most powerful platform on the market. These lessons will influence how companies design and market gaming hardware for the foreseeable future.
The original Switch will likely remain in production for another couple of years before being fully phased out. It might eventually reach 160 million units sold, surpassing the Play Station 2 and becoming the bestselling console of all time. Or it might plateau around 155-158 million and hold the number two spot. Either way, the achievement is historic.
For anyone who bought a Switch in the early days—those people who took a chance on a hybrid console when nobody knew if it would work—the success of that device has vindicated their faith in Nintendo's vision. For people who've bought a Switch more recently, they're buying one of the bestselling gaming devices ever made, with a library of thousands of games and millions of other players to connect with.
The story of the Nintendo Switch is the story of what's possible when a company prioritizes what players want over what tech specs suggest they should want. It's a story of sustained innovation, careful hardware management, and understanding your market so deeply that you can predict what they'll embrace even if they don't realize they want it yet. It's a story that will be studied in business schools and gaming industry analyses for decades to come.
As the Switch 2 enters its second year and beyond, and as the original Switch gradually fades from production, we'll look back on this era as something special. Someday, people will remember where they were when they first played Breath of the Wild on a Switch. They'll remember the pandemic and Animal Crossing providing comfort. They'll remember tournaments of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. They'll remember late nights playing Pokémon with friends.
Those memories, accumulated across 155 million consoles and billions of hours of gameplay, are what make a device bestselling. It's not the specifications or the manufacturing achievements or even the financial metrics. It's the fact that a device became so integral to how people play games that it became indispensable.
The Nintendo Switch didn't just become a bestselling console. It became part of gaming culture. That's a legacy that transcends unit sales numbers.
Key Takeaways
- The Nintendo Switch reached 155.37 million units sold as of December 31, 2025, becoming the bestselling console in Nintendo's 130-year history and the second-bestselling console of all time.
- The original Switch continues selling strongly at 3.25 million units per quarter despite being 9 years old, demonstrating remarkable product longevity and market demand.
- The Switch 2 has achieved the fastest-selling dedicated Nintendo platform launch with 17.37 million units in less than a year, already surpassing the Wii U's lifetime sales.
- Nintendo's three-tier hardware strategy (standard, Lite, OLED) allowed the company to capture customers across different price points and market segments simultaneously.
- The PlayStation 2 remains the only console ahead of the Switch with over 160 million units sold, but the Switch is projected to potentially surpass it within 2-3 years at current sales rates.
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