With the immediate success of the Nintendo Switch 2, you’d figure that it’s on track to become one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
We’re clearly getting ahead of ourselves here, but keep in mind that its predecessor has sold over 150 million units worldwide. Was that enough to make it the most successful video game console in history? Let’s find out.
Xbox One
- Units Sold: Roughly 58 million.
I had to do a double take when I saw that the Xbox One outsold the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64.
That’s the state of modern gaming, though. Microsoft had built up a fan base after the success of the Xbox 360, which led to plenty of excited gamers, myself included. Although the Xbox One was a major disappointment, it still sold plenty of consoles.
Nintendo Entertainment System
- Units Sold: Just under 62 million.
For many, this is where it all began: Super Mario Bros., Contra, Mega Man II, The Legend of Zelda, and more. This is where the hobby began for so many gamers, and the success of the NES helped the industry recover from the video game crash of 1983.
Even today, the best NES games hold up extremely well, and you can find me playing them often on Nintendo Switch Online.
Nintendo 3DS
- Units Sold: 75 million.
While the Nintendo 3DS’ trademark feature, immersive 3D visuals without 3D glasses, was a dud, it was still a Nintendo handheld, and those have always done extremely well, as we’ll highlight later on our list of best-selling consoles.
Its lineup is criminally underrated as well, with standout titles like Luigi Mansion: Dark Moon, Fire Emblem Awakening, and the cult classic Tomodachi Life.
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PlayStation 5
- Units Sold: 77 million and counting.
Sony can not be stopped. The PS5 is an absolute juggernaut, blowing away the Xbox Series X|S, which has only sold roughly 28 million consoles.
The biggest reason has been their commitment to excellent, generation defining exclusive games you can’t play anywhere else, although they’ve slowly been making their way to PC. I’d argue, though, that even if their entire library was available elsewhere, Sony has capitalized on Microsoft fumbling the ball after the Xbox 360 days to grow a substantial lead in the “console wars.”
PlayStation Portable
- Units Sold: Roughly 80 million.
Sony’s first handheld had a lot of excitement around it, and part of that was due to my efforts selling the system as a GameStop employee. I’m not afraid to admit that I was all in on UMDs, watching movies wherever I went. The hardware itself was incredible, but sadly, it was let down by a poor game library compared to what was available on the Nintendo DS.
Game Boy Advance
- Units Sold: 81 million.
The original Game Boy got a lot of life out of it, even if it was severely outdated in the late 1990s. Thankfully, the Game Boy Advance finally made its debut in 2001 and brought an incredible lineup of games along with it.
Pokémon never looked better, the Metroid franchise was back with Metroid Fusion, and we had the chance to relive some of the NES glory days with several Super Mario Bros. remakes.
Xbox 360
- Units sold: 84 million.
We didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the best-selling Xbox console of all time.
The first to usher in the HD era of gaming, the Xbox 360 is one of my favorite systems. I have fond memories from college of playing far too much Halo 3, Rock Band, and Modern Warfare 2. Maybe one day an Xbox console will be this popular again.
PlayStation 3
- Units sold: 87 million.
For all of the success the Xbox 360 saw, it failed to outsell the PS3. That wasn’t due to lack of effort, though!
Sony seriously stumbled out of the gate thanks to its outrageously high price tag and awkawrd marketing. However, they’d eventually right the ship, usher in new franchises like The Last of Us and Uncharted, and overtake the Xbox 360 in total sales.
Nintendo Wii
- Units Sold: 101 million.
To say that the Nintendo Wii was a curveball following the Nintendo GameCube is a massive understatement. Nintendo ditched traditional controls, instead opting for more accessible motion controls.
While this marked the beginning of a new era for Nintendo, where they were no longer competing directly with Microsoft and Sony, it also helped them see widespread mainstream success on the back of Wii Sports.
PlayStation
- Units Sold: 102 million.
Wherever. Whenever. PS1.
Sony launched its own system after a falling out with Nintendo over a SNES CD-ROM attachment that would rival the Sega CD. The rest, as they say, is history.
PlayStation 4
- Units Sold: 117 million.
Remember when I said how shocked I was that the Xbox One sold as many units as they did? Sony took full advantage of Microsoft’s tone deaf marketing of the Xbox One, delivering a consumer friendly PlayStation 4 that was about one thing and one thing only: great games. The PS4 built off the momentum from the PS3’s final years and helped make it one of Sony’s best-selling consoles ever.
Game Boy / Game Boy Color
- Units Sold: 118 million.
Together, the Game Boy family dominated my childhood. Sure, I had a Sega Game Gear while my sister technically owned the Game Boy, but I’d soon realize the error of my ways and secretly borrow her Game Boy until I had a Game Boy Color of my own. One of the biggest reasons for the Game Boy’s success, other than being able to play Super Mario on the go? A little franchise known as Pokémon.
Nintendo Switch
- Units Sold: 152 million.
After floundering with the Wii U, Nintendo realized the smartest thing they could do was develop a home and portable console hybrid. It’s a genius decision that not only paid off in spades, but also helped usher in the industry trend of portable devices capable of playing games as if you were on your home console or PC.
The Nintendo Switch era began with a bang thanks to Breath of the Wild, and its success continues to this day as Nintendo supports the system alongside the recently released Switch 2.
Nintendo DS
- Units Sold: 154 million.
I’d be shocked if the Nintendo Switch didn’t outsell the DS at some point soon, but for now, the Nintendo DS remains Nintendo’s best-selling console.
I was working at GameStop when it released. We couldn’t keep these on the shelves; the second we got a shipment in, they’d immediately sell out. Yes, the second screen was a nice feature that allowed for touch-screen controls or other helpful in-game information, but Nintendo would continue to assert its dominance in the handheld market with a steady stream of incredible games. Oh, and they played our old Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games, too.
PlayStation 2
- Units Sold: 160.63
There may be a time when a console can dethrone the PS2, but for over 25 years, that day has yet to come.
Sony’s second console is a massive achievement, building upon the success of their debut while also continuing to deliver an incredible lineup of exclusive, revolutionary games. Honestly, though, one of the biggest reasons for the PS2’s success is that it doubles as a cheap DVD player while still being able to enjoy your favorite PS1 games. It also launched before the Xbox and GameCube, giving it a head start over the competition.
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