Nintendo Switch: Best-Selling Console of All Time [2025]

Something remarkable just happened in the gaming world, and honestly, it's worth pausing to appreciate. The Nintendo Switch, a console that seemed almost humble when it launched in 2017, has officially become Nintendo's best-selling home and handheld system in the company's 135-year history.

The numbers are staggering. As of December 31, 2025, the original Switch has sold 155.37 million units. That's more than the legendary Nintendo DS, which held the crown for over a decade with 154.02 million units. Think about that for a second. The DS was everywhere in the mid-2000s. Kids on planes. Commuters on trains. Your aunt at Thanksgiving. It defined gaming for an entire generation.

Yet the Switch surpassed it.

This isn't just a footnote in gaming history. It represents a fundamental shift in how people play games, where they play them, and what gaming hardware means in 2025. It's the story of how Nintendo bet everything on versatility and won spectacularly.

The DS Legacy: The Console That Made Gaming Portable

To understand why the Switch's achievement matters, you need to understand what the DS meant. When Nintendo launched the DS in 2004, it wasn't obvious that a dual-screen handheld with a touch screen would become a cultural phenomenon. Yet it did.

The DS sold 154.02 million units over its lifetime. That's not "good." That's generational dominance. The console was in production for nine years, from 2004 to 2013. It spawned countless variants—the Lite, the DSi, the DSi XL. Games like Nintendogs, Brain Training, and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon weren't just bestsellers; they were casual gateway drugs that brought non-gamers into the fold.

What made the DS special wasn't raw processing power. It wasn't cutting-edge graphics. It was accessibility. You could play games anywhere. The touch screen felt magical at the time. The library grew to encompass over 3,500 games. There was genuinely something for everyone.

For nearly 12 years after its discontinuation in January 2013, the DS held the throne as Nintendo's best-selling system. The Wii, which launched in 2006 and sold 101.63 million units, was popular but couldn't match it. The Game Boy and Game Boy Color (118.69 million units combined) came close but couldn't crack the top spot.

Then the Switch came along.

The Nintendo Switch outpaced the DS with an annual sales velocity of 19.4 million units, compared to the DS's 17.1 million, contributing to its record-breaking sales performance.

The Switch's Unlikely Path to the Top

When Nintendo announced the Switch in 2016, the reception was... mixed. Gamers weren't sure what to make of it. A console that was also a handheld? That worked as both a docked system and a portable device? The concept seemed gimmicky on paper.

But Nintendo's execution was flawless. The Switch launched on March 3, 2017, with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the most acclaimed games ever made. Suddenly, people wanted one. Not eventually. Immediately.

The console's flexibility became its superpower. Parents could play docked on the TV. Commuters could play portably. Friends could pass controllers and play together anywhere. This wasn't innovation for innovation's sake. This solved real problems in how people actually wanted to game.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, console sales spiked across the industry. But the Switch had a unique advantage. People stuck at home could still take it with them. Friends could play together on a single unit. The social aspect of gaming didn't disappear during lockdown—it just moved to different spaces.

Nintendo kept releasing variations too. The Switch Lite launched in September 2019, targeting portable gamers who didn't need a TV connection. The Switch OLED model arrived in October 2021, offering a gorgeous screen for handheld play. Each variant broadened the addressable market.

By November 2025, just two months before hitting the DS record, the Switch had already sold 154 million units. The holiday shopping season pushed it over the edge. That last 1.35 million units happened because families wanted the console for Christmas 2025. Even as Nintendo announced the Switch 2 would be coming, demand for the original never wavered.

The Numbers Behind the Milestone

Let's break down what 155.37 million units actually means in context. The Switch achieved this in eight years (2017 to 2025). The DS took nine years (2004 to 2013) to reach similar numbers.

That's not just faster growth. That's a different trajectory entirely.

Here's a comparison of Nintendo's best-selling systems:

The Switch's annual sales rate of 19.4 million units per year is the highest in Nintendo history. Even the wildly popular Wii averaged only 16.9 million annually.

What's remarkable is how Nintendo maintained momentum. After year three, many consoles see sales decline. The Switch sold 16.95 million units in fiscal 2019 (March 2019 to March 2020). During the pandemic spike in 2020, it sold 28.87 million units. But even in fiscal 2024 (March 2024 to March 2025), with the Switch 2 announced and the original clearly in its twilight years, it still moved 13.45 million units.

Consistency like that is rare. It suggests the Switch tapped into something fundamental about how people want to experience games.

The Nintendo Switch leads with 155.37 million units sold and an annual average of 19.4 million units, showcasing the fastest growth among Nintendo's top consoles.

What Made the Switch Outsell the DS

On paper, the DS had advantages. The DS launched during a time of booming casual gaming. Brain Training and Nintendogs brought millions of non-gamers into the fold. The touch screen felt revolutionary. Motion controls hadn't been done yet.

Yet the Switch surpassed it. Why?

One factor is market maturation. By 2017, gaming wasn't niche anymore. Smartphones had normalized the idea of gaming anywhere. The Switch arrived at a moment when powerful portable gaming was genuinely desirable rather than a novelty. The DS was a revelation because portable gaming hadn't been done that way. The Switch was inevitable because portable gaming was already normalized.

Another factor is library depth. The Switch launched with an absolutely stacked library within its first year. Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The DS had hits, but this concentrated launch window was potent.

The pandemic also played a role, but not in the way you might think. Yes, 2020-2021 saw massive console sales overall. But the Switch maintained momentum after lockdowns ended in ways competitors didn't. The portability factor that seemed gimmicky pre-pandemic became genuinely essential post-pandemic. Remote work meant commuting again. Travel returned. The Switch's flexibility mattered more in 2024 than in 2017.

Lastly, there's the sustainability factor. Nintendo kept updating the hardware line. The Switch Lite targeted budget-conscious buyers. The OLED model justified a premium for enthusiasts. The original model stayed in production at a standard price point. This three-tier approach captured buyers at different price points simultaneously.

The DS tried this with multiple revisions, but the Switch execution felt more deliberate. Each variant had a clear purpose and market segment.

The Play Station 2: The Next Mountain

But here's the thing that makes this even more interesting. The Switch isn't done climbing.

There's one console sitting above Nintendo's entire library: the Play Station 2. Released in March 2000 and discontinued in January 2013, the PS2 sold over 160 million units. For 23 years, it held the title of best-selling video game console ever made.

The gap between the Switch's current 155.37 million and the PS2's 160+ million is roughly 5 million units. That's smaller than many people realize.

Nintendo has explicitly stated it plans to keep selling the original Switch "while taking consumer demand and the business environment into consideration." Translation: they're not done yet. Even with the Switch 2 announced and coming in the near future, the original hardware will remain available.

Can the Switch reach 160 million units? It seems almost inevitable at this point. Even at conservative estimates of 2-3 million units annually, it would hit the mark by 2027.

Reaching the PS2's specific total depends partly on what counts. Some sources cite the PS2 at exactly 155 million. Others claim over 160 million. Sony hasn't updated official sales figures in years. The exact number has become increasingly disputed among gaming historians.

But qualitatively, it seems certain: the Switch will become the best-selling video game console in history. Not just in Nintendo's lineup. Period.

Impact on Game Developers and Publishers

From a developer's perspective, the Switch's dominance means something concrete: market reality. With 155 million potential players, supporting the Switch is almost obligatory for major publishers.

This has shaped what games get made. Indies have flourished on the Switch because the installed base is so massive that even niche games can find audiences. Hades, Celeste, Hollow Knight—these became phenomenon games partially because the Switch's portability made indie games feel fresh.

For major publishers, the Switch forced evolution. Games that previously wouldn't have been considered for handheld platforms—like full DOOM, or The Witcher 3, or Fortnite—became viable. Developers learned to optimize differently. Cloud versions became acceptable on Switch in ways they wouldn't have on other platforms.

Third-party support became easier to secure because the audience was undeniably there. Want to release a game? The Switch's install base of 155 million players is too big to ignore.

This contrasts sharply with other Nintendo platforms. The Wii U, by comparison, sold only 13.5 million units. Many developers skipped it entirely because the math didn't work. The Switch proved that Nintendo could command mainstream developer attention.

Franchises also evolved. Pokémon went from handheld-only to hybrid. The Legend of Zelda proved that open-world games could work portably. Mario kept reinventing itself with each new title. The console's flexibility meant developers could explore gameplay possibilities that weren't viable on traditional handheld hardware.

The Nintendo Switch achieved a balanced global sales distribution, with North America leading slightly, followed by Japan and Europe. Estimated data based on market performance.

The Switch 2: What Comes Next

Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 in January 2025, with a launch expected sometime before the end of fiscal year 2026 (by March 31, 2026). The specs are known: more powerful processor, bigger screen, better graphics, AI upscaling technology.

But here's what's fascinating: Nintendo didn't sunset the original Switch. While the Switch 2 will be the flagship, the original hardware continues selling. Nintendo specifically stated it would keep original Switch units in production based on demand.

This is deliberate strategy. The DS continued selling even after the DSi launched. Nintendo learned that a broader audience exists at different price points. The Switch at current pricing (around $299 at launch, now sometimes discounted) offers better value than the Switch 2 will at its presumably higher launch price.

Nintendo also learned from the Wii U disaster, where they essentially abandoned the previous generation when the Switch launched. That created hard feelings and left consumers stranded. This time, they're saying clearly: the original Switch will remain viable.

How many additional units will the original Switch sell before becoming truly obsolete? Conservative estimates suggest 5-8 million more over the next 2-3 years. That puts it comfortably above 160 million, past the PS2.

From a historical perspective, that's momentous. The Play Station 2 held the best-selling console title for 23 years. The Switch might surpass it in just 9-10 years.

The Broader Gaming Landscape in 2025

To really understand why the Switch's achievement matters, you need context about the industry it dominates.

Console gaming in 2025 is fundamentally different from 2017. Mobile gaming has exploded. Cloud gaming exists but hasn't replaced local hardware. PC gaming is stronger than ever. Esports has become legitimized.

Yet the Switch thrived through all of it.

The Xbox Series X/S, launched in November 2020, has sold approximately 28 million units by late 2024. The Play Station 5, also launched in November 2020, has sold approximately 40 million units. Neither comes close to the Switch's momentum.

Part of this is market segmentation. The Switch isn't competing directly with the PS5 or Xbox Series X. They're different categories: console for anywhere versus console for your living room. Someone buying a Switch might still buy a PS5 later.

But it reveals something about consumer preferences. Given a choice between ultimate graphical power or flexibility and accessibility, 155 million people chose the latter.

That has implications for the Switch 2. It can't abandon portability. Even if it's more powerful than the PS5, its fundamental value proposition is the hybrid experience. Lose that, and you lose the installed base.

Regional Performance and Global Reach

The Switch succeeded globally in ways Nintendo's systems hadn't before. The Wii had strong performance in the west but less dominance in Japan. The DS was more balanced geographically.

The Switch owns all regions. Japan is a primary market, but the Switch also dominated in North America and Europe. This global distribution mattered for achieving 155 million sales. No single region could account for the full number.

In Japan specifically, the Switch became the most popular home console ever. The DS was technically a handheld, which is a different category. But comparing household penetration, the Switch may have wider Japanese adoption than any Nintendo system.

In North America, the Switch competed directly with the PS4 and Xbox One and won on unit sales. The PS4 sold approximately 117 million units globally. The Xbox One sold approximately 51 million. The Switch selling 155 million makes this comparison even more skewed toward Nintendo.

In Europe, a similar story. Regional Nintendo presence had been uneven historically, but the Switch became a phenomenon across Europe, from the UK to Germany to Scandinavia.

This global reach meant the Switch couldn't fail. If performance dropped in one region, growth elsewhere compensated. Nintendo had never achieved this kind of global balance before.

Estimated data shows the Nintendo Switch potentially surpassing PlayStation 2 sales by 2026, reaching over 160 million units.

Software Support and the Games That Mattered

No console succeeds on hardware alone. The software matters. The Switch was blessed with software.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched with the console and is still considered one of the greatest games ever made. It won every critic award in 2017. That launch title alone justified purchases.

Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate—these aren't just good games. These are franchise-defining entries that many consider the best in their respective series.

But beyond Nintendo's own software, third-party support came through. DOOM, The Witcher 3, Fortnite, Minecraft, The Elder Scrolls Online—games that shouldn't have worked on handheld hardware were ported to the Switch.

Developer creativity also flourished. Hollow Knight, Celeste, Hades, Stardew Valley, Okami HD, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen—the Switch became the preferred platform for indie games precisely because of its portability and huge install base.

From launch in March 2017 through December 2025, the Switch received over 10,000 games. That eclipses most other platforms. The breadth of that library—from AAA games to niche indies—created genuine something-for-everyone appeal.

The software library made the hardware matter. A console is just plastic without games. The Switch had games.

Lessons for the Gaming Industry

What can we take from the Switch becoming Nintendo's best-selling system ever?

First, innovation in form factor matters more than raw power. The Switch wasn't the most powerful console in 2017. The Play Station 4 was stronger. But flexibility created new use cases that powered growth.

Second, accessibility beats specs for mainstream markets. Gamers care about graphics. Mainstream consumers care about price and convenience. The Switch targeted mainstream consumers first. That broader market is bigger.

Third, software matters enormously, but it can't compensate for hardware limitations indefinitely. The Switch's library is deep, but the original hardware's specs are increasingly limiting. The Switch 2 solves this, but only by moving forward. Incremental hardware updates wouldn't have extended the original's life.

Fourth, market segmentation within a platform line works. The Switch Lite and Switch OLED weren't feature reductions—they were different products for different needs. Cheaper. Better screen. This allowed Nintendo to serve multiple markets simultaneously.

Fifth, global reach is essential for blockbuster console success. The Switch succeeded in Japan, North America, Europe, and emerging markets. Nintendo's previous systems weren't as globally dominant. Winning worldwide, not just in your home market, drives numbers like 155 million.

The Path to 160 Million: Can the Switch Surpass the Play Station 2

There's one question everyone's asking: will the Switch become the single best-selling video game console in history?

Mathematically, it seems inevitable. With 155.37 million units sold and roughly 5 million needed to surpass the PS2's "over 160 million" total, the Switch needs modest continued sales.

Scenario analysis:

• If the Switch sells 3 million units annually, it reaches 160+ million by 2027
• If it sells 2 million units annually, it reaches 160+ million by 2028
• Even at 1 million units annually, it reaches 160+ million by 2030

Given that it sold 13.45 million units in fiscal 2024 (before the Switch 2 was even released), hitting these targets seems mathematically straightforward.

But there's a complication: defining what counts. The Play Station 2 lasted in production from March 2000 to January 2013. The Switch will surpass the PS2's in-production lifespan by 2025 (already has). So technically, the Switch is already in an unprecedented position: best-selling in the same timeframe as the PS2.

Regardless, the psychological milestone matters. When the Switch hits 160 million units, it becomes officially the best-selling video game console in human history. Not just Nintendo history. All history.

That's worth noting.

Estimated data suggests the Nintendo Switch will follow a slow decline pattern, reaching 157-159 million units by 2028, surpassing the Wii and approaching PS2's sales figures.

What This Means for Nintendo's Future

For Nintendo as a company, this achievement validates the risky bet they took in 2015-2016. The company was recovering from the Wii U disaster. Wii U sold only 13.5 million units—a catastrophic failure. Nintendo's stock had dropped. Analysts questioned whether Nintendo had a future in hardware.

Then the Switch proved them all wrong.

155 million units means Nintendo has a massive install base to launch games into. The Switch 2 arrives to a world where Nintendo controls 155 million households with gaming devices. That's not a new console launch into empty space. That's a sequel launching to a firmly established ecosystem.

It also means Nintendo's financial model works. The Switch generated hundreds of billions in revenue across hardware and software. Shareholders are satisfied. The company proved it could adapt to changing gaming landscapes while maintaining its identity.

Looking forward, the Switch 2 carries expectations. It needs to replicate the Switch's success—clearly possible given the installed base, but not guaranteed. Hardware success isn't guaranteed just because your previous product succeeded.

But with 155 million potential customers for Switch 2 games, the opportunity is massive.

The Competitive Context: PS5 vs Xbox Series X

It's worth noting how the Switch's 155 million sales compare to its supposed competitors in the current console generation.

The Play Station 5 (launched November 2020) has sold approximately 40 million units as of late 2024. The Xbox Series X/S (launched November 2020) has sold approximately 28 million units. Combined, that's 68 million units for the current generation from Sony and Microsoft.

The Switch (launched March 2017) has sold 155 million units total. The Switch is still outselling both next-gen consoles combined, even seven years after its launch and three years into the PS5/Xbox Series X generation.

This illustrates how different the categories are. The Switch isn't direct competition with the PS5 in the console market. But it's such a massive player that it dominates overall gaming hardware sales.

This split in the market will likely continue with the Switch 2. It won't be competing for the same audience as the PS5. It'll be competing with its own installed base and with the PS5 for discretionary gaming spending from households.

Someone with both a Switch and a PS5 has a very different gaming experience. Switch for portability. PS5 for raw power. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

The Handheld vs Home Console Blur

One category-defining shift the Switch created: the blurring of handheld and home console as distinct categories.

Before the Switch, gaming hardware fell into neat buckets:

• Home Consoles: PS2, Xbox, Game Cube, Wii (plugged into TVs)
• Handhelds: Game Boy, DS, PSP (portable screens)
• Mobile: Smartphones (apps and simple games)

The Switch demolished those categories. It's simultaneously a home console (when docked) and a handheld (when portable). This wasn't revolutionary conceptually—the hardware wasn't inherently more powerful than existing solutions—but it was revolutionary commercially.

By 2025, the handheld vs home console distinction feels almost quaint. The Switch proved that consumers don't care about artificial categories. They care about where and how they can play.

This has implications for the industry. Future gaming devices might follow the Switch's hybrid model. The instinct to separate "portable" and "home" gaming hardware is weaker now.

Some competitors tried to follow. The Steam Deck (2022) is portable but not a home console. The ROG Ally is similar. Neither achieved Switch-level adoption, partly because they launched as gaming-specific portables, not unified platform devices.

The Switch's advantage was timing. It launched at the exact moment when smartphone gaming was saturating the market, when people were tired of playing games on their phones, and when there was demand for legitimate gaming hardware anywhere.

The Nintendo Switch's sales trajectory surpassed the DS due to market maturation, a strong game library, and strategic hardware updates. Estimated data.

Historical Perspective: Nintendo's Console Legacy

To understand the Switch's achievement, look at Nintendo's full console history:

1983 - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): 61.91 million units. Saved the gaming industry after the 1983 crash. Defined what a home console is.

1989 - Game Boy: 118.69 million units (combined with Game Boy Color). Dominated portability for a decade. Made Nintendo synonymous with handheld gaming.

1990 - Super Nintendo: 49.10 million units. Powerful but less successful than the NES.

2001 - Game Cube: 21.74 million units. Underperformed expectations.

2006 - Wii: 101.63 million units. Massive success. Introduced motion controls. Brought casual gamers to consoles.

2011 - Wii U: 13.5 million units. Catastrophic failure. Confused consumers. Weak software lineup.

2017 - Switch: 155.37 million units. Largest in Nintendo history. Hybrid of home and handheld. Cultural phenomenon.

The pattern shows something interesting. Nintendo's most successful systems addressed a gap in the market or created a new category. The NES saved gaming. The Game Boy made portability viable. The Wii brought motion controls. The Switch unified portability and power.

The failures (Game Cube, Wii U) either competed in established categories without clear differentiation (Game Cube) or created confusion about what the product was (Wii U).

The Switch succeeded by being clear, innovative, and filling a genuine need.

Manufacturing and Supply Chain Reality

Reaching 155 million units required staggering manufacturing complexity. Let's put this in perspective.

Five million units is approximately the annual smartphone production of mid-tier makers. The Switch sustained that scale for eight years. Nintendo isn't a traditional consumer electronics manufacturer. They had to build factories, negotiate chip supplies, manage logistics.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Switch sales exploded. But so did demand. Supply constraints became severe. Shortages lasted through 2021 and into 2022. Some of that pent-up demand couldn't be fulfilled even with constraint-breaking manufacturing.

Once the supply chain normalized (2022-2023), sales resumed at high levels. But the manufacturing challenge of 155 million units is non-trivial.

For comparison, the PS2 reached 160 million units over 13 years (2000-2013). The Switch achieved 155 million in 8 years. That's higher manufacturing velocity for a longer duration. Nintendo pulled off something logistically remarkable.

The Holiday Season Effect and Seasonal Fluctuations

Interestingly, the Switch hit 155.37 million right after the 2025 holiday season. This is not a coincidence.

Nintendo's fiscal year ends March 31. December represents the strongest quarter. Holiday sales push console sales dramatically higher. The Switch surpassed the DS in late December 2024, confirmed in the January 2025 earnings release.

Why does this matter? Because it shows the Switch is still demand-driven. Even with the Switch 2 announced, people wanted the original for Christmas 2024. That speaks to continued market desire for the product.

Historically, Nintendo systems see seasonal spikes:

• Q4 (October-December): Holiday shopping boosts sales dramatically
• Q1 (January-March): Post-holiday slump but still strong
• Q2 (April-June): Summer demand, vacation planning
• Q3 (July-September): Back-to-school period for younger audiences

The Switch's holiday sales were strong enough to push it over the DS record. This suggests that even in its twilight year (before the Switch 2 launches), the original system still moves millions of units annually.

For context, the Switch shifted roughly 13.45 million units in fiscal 2024 (March 2024 to March 2025). Even accounting for the Switch 2 hype and announcement, that's a robust number for a system nearing its end-of-life cycle.

Prediction: The Switch's Final Year Sales

As the Switch transitions to being a secondary product after the Switch 2 launches (expected 2026), what happens to sales?

Historically, two patterns emerge:

Pattern 1: Cliff Drop: When a new system launches, the old one quickly becomes unsellable. PS2 sales dropped sharply when the PS3 launched. PS3 sales dropped when the PS4 launched.

Pattern 2: Slow Decline: When pricing drops on the old system, it finds new buyers at lower price points. The DS continued selling millions even after the 3DS launched because it remained affordable.

Nintendo's strategy suggests Pattern 2. They've explicitly stated the original Switch will remain in production. This implies a value-tier product below the Switch 2's likely launch price.

Conservative estimate: The original Switch sells 2-4 million additional units before becoming truly obsolete (by 2027-2028).

That puts its final total somewhere between 157-159 million units. Confidently above the PS2's "160+ million" claim.

The Switch as Cultural Artifact

Beyond the numbers, the Switch became something cultural. It's present in millions of households worldwide. It's played by kids and adults. It's appeared in mainstream media. It's generated cultural moments through games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons (which became a pandemic gathering place) and cultural debates around games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

155 million units means the Switch has touched a genuinely significant portion of the global gaming population. That's not just a commercial achievement. That's cultural penetration.

The Switch's success validated Nintendo's identity as a gameplay-first company. Not the most powerful. Not the most advanced. But the most creative about how people experience games.

For gaming history, the Switch will be remembered as a watershed moment. The system that proved handheld and home gaming could converge. The system that won the most recent console generation not through raw power but through smart design. The system that outsold the legendary PS2.

When video game historians look back at the 2010s and 2020s, the Switch will be central to the narrative. Not because of technical specifications. But because of how thoroughly it dominated the market and culture.

What Comes After: The Switch 2 and Beyond

With the original Switch now cemented as Nintendo's best-selling system, all attention turns to the Switch 2. Can it replicate this success?

It has advantages: 155 million existing customers who know the Switch brand and ecosystem. Games from the original system that work on the successor. Nintendo's proven track record with this form factor. But it also has challenges.

The Switch 2 will launch to a crowded market. The PS5 and Xbox Series X are established with massive libraries. Cloud gaming continues improving. The technology landscape is more competitive than 2017.

But the Switch 2 will launch to 155 million households that already own a Switch. That's not the same as launching to zero. The network effects are enormous.

Projecting Switch 2 sales is risky, but reasonable estimates suggest 80-120 million units across its lifecycle seems plausible based on the original's dominance. Whether it surpasses the original's 155 million is genuinely uncertain. But it starts from an incredible foundation.

Nintendo has already won this generation. The Switch's 155 million units cemented that. The Switch 2 just needs to maintain relevance in the next generation.

That's a position most hardware makers would kill for.

Conclusion: A Gaming Milestone for the Ages

The Nintendo Switch becoming the company's best-selling console of all time is significant. Surpassing the legend that is the Nintendo DS, with 155.37 million units sold, represents nearly a decade of consistent excellence in hardware design and software delivery.

This achievement matters in multiple ways. Commercially, it validated Nintendo's hybrid approach to gaming hardware. Culturally, it proved that innovation in form factor matters more than raw technical specifications for mainstream audiences. Historically, it's positioned the Switch to potentially become the best-selling video game console in human history by 2026-2027.

The DS held this record for 12 years (from 2013 to 2025). It will likely hold the record in a very different way: as the second-best-selling console ever, displaced by the system that learned from its success and evolved beyond it.

For the gaming industry, the Switch's dominance suggests continued market segmentation rather than convergence. The PS5 and Xbox Series X will continue selling well. Mobile gaming will evolve. Cloud gaming will gradually improve. But the Switch proved there's massive market demand for portable, flexible, reasonably-powered gaming hardware.

The Switch 2 will launch into a world where Nintendo controls 155 million households with gaming hardware. That's an unprecedented advantage. Whether the sequel can replicate the original's success is the next question. But right now, Nintendo isn't worried. They've already won this generation.

155.37 million units. That's not just a number. That's a legacy.

FAQ

How many units has the Nintendo Switch sold?

As of December 31, 2025, the Nintendo Switch has sold 155.37 million units since its launch on March 3, 2017. This figure was officially reported by Nintendo in their latest earnings release, making the Switch Nintendo's best-selling console of all time, surpassing the Nintendo DS which had held the record with 154.02 million units sold.

Why did the Switch surpass the DS in sales?

The Switch surpassed the DS due to several factors: faster annual sales velocity (19.4 million units per year versus the DS's 17.1 million annually), global market dominance across Japan, North America, and Europe, hybrid portability that appealed to broader audiences, superior software library with franchises like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Animal Crossing, and multiple hardware variants (Switch Lite, Switch OLED) that captured different market segments. The Switch also benefited from launching into a more mature gaming market where portable gaming was already normalized but not fully dominated by mobile phones.

What is the best-selling video game console of all time?

The Play Station 2 currently holds the title of best-selling video game console of all time with approximately 160+ million units sold between its launch in March 2000 and discontinuation in January 2013. However, the Nintendo Switch is positioned to surpass this record within the next 1-2 years if it sells just 5 million additional units, which is mathematically likely given its current sales trajectory.

How long did it take the Switch to reach 155 million units?

The Nintendo Switch reached 155.37 million units in approximately 8 years (from March 2017 to December 2025). This is notably faster than the DS, which required 9 years to reach similar numbers. The Switch's annual sales average of 19.4 million units per year is the highest in Nintendo console history, demonstrating exceptional market dominance.

Will the Nintendo Switch continue to be sold after the Switch 2 launches?

Yes, Nintendo has explicitly stated that the original Nintendo Switch will continue to be sold "while taking consumer demand and the business environment into consideration." This strategy mirrors Nintendo's approach with previous console transitions, where the older hardware remains available at lower price points to capture price-conscious buyers. The Switch Lite and standard Switch models will likely remain available as budget options even after the Switch 2 launches in 2026.

How does the Switch's sales compare to the Play Station 5 and Xbox Series X?

The Switch has dramatically outsold both current-generation competitors. The Play Station 5 (launched November 2020) has sold approximately 40 million units, while the Xbox Series X/S (launched November 2020) has sold approximately 28 million units combined. Together, that's roughly 68 million units against the Switch's 155 million. This comparison illustrates how the Switch operates in a different market category (hybrid portable/home console) compared to dedicated home consoles, allowing both to coexist without direct competition.

What software drove the Switch's success?

The Switch benefited from exceptional first-party software launches including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (launch title, considered one of the greatest games ever), Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Additionally, the platform attracted strong third-party support with ports of DOOM, The Witcher 3, and Fortnite, plus a thriving indie ecosystem including Hollow Knight, Celeste, Hades, and Stardew Valley. The combination of high-quality AAA and indie titles across a diverse genre spectrum created genuine universal appeal.

Can the Switch become the best-selling console of all time?

It's mathematically almost certain. The Switch needs to sell approximately 5 million more units to reach the Play Station 2's 160 million threshold. Even at conservative annual sales estimates of 2-3 million units, this would occur by 2027-2028. Nintendo's statement that the original Switch will continue production ensures this milestone is achievable, likely making the Switch the best-selling video game console in human history.

Key Takeaways

• The Nintendo Switch sold 155.37 million units as of December 31, 2025, surpassing the DS's 154.02 million to become Nintendo's best-selling console in history
• The Switch achieved this milestone in 8 years (2017-2025) with an annual average of 19.4 million units, the highest sales velocity of any Nintendo system
• The Switch is positioned to surpass the PlayStation 2's 160 million units by 2027-2028, potentially becoming the best-selling video game console in human history
• The hybrid portable/home console form factor drove success, capturing markets across Japan, North America, Europe, and beyond with unparalleled global reach
• Strong first-party software including Breath of the Wild, Mario Odyssey, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, combined with third-party and indie support, created genre-spanning appeal

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