Four months since the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo just showed us how well the new console is faring (very well, it turns out), according to a new report. But while the company may be prioritizing its new Switch 2 at the moment, it’s the original Switch that seems poised to break a huge record in copies sold.
The Nintendo Switch has just past 154 million units sold since its launch in 2017, according to the new report. That’s an impressive figure on its own, that’s even more interesting when you look at it in context. To be more specific with the numbers, the Switch has sold 154.01 copies, while the same report shows that the Nintendo DS sold 154.02 over its lifetime. That puts the Nintendo DS as the second-best selling console in history, just behind the PlayStation 2 with 160.63 million sold, according to numbers from Sony. That means there’s a good chance that before long, the Switch could surpass the DS, becoming the second-best selling console ever itself.
There’s no one reason why the Switch has been so successful, but it’s had a lot working in its favor. Including the Switch, Nintendo handhelds make up four of the top ten best-selling consoles ever. The portability of the Switch, combined with its ability to work as at at-home console has likely played some part in its popularity.
The Switch has also had timing on its side. When it launched in 2017, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were both no longer considered brand new, but neither Sony nor Microsoft was ready to launch a new console yet. That means that the Switch didn’t face any real competition from new consoles. The Switch also launched at $300, meaning it was around the same price as the other aging consoles, with an even cheaper version in the Switch Lite (also included in the data) coming slightly later.
It’s commonly accepted that 2020 and the lockdowns that followed boosted sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in particular, but video game sales overall were up during the worst parts of the period. When that began, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S were still months away, making the Switch the newest and most affordable console around.
The Switch’s success wasn’t an accident, though. While we’re inundated with portable PCs these days, the idea of a hybrid console that was portable but could still be plugged into a TV was brand-new. It was never quite as portable as a dedicated handheld, but the Switch hit the sweet spot between size and power, making it capable of running fairly demanding games while still fitting in your backpack and being easy enough to play on your commute.
Then there are the games. Nintendo has always thrived on its exclusive first-party titles, and they’ve been key to the Switch’s success, too. Early hits like Super Mario Odyssey helped sell systems, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the breakout hit among them, bringing series fans and newcomers to the Switch in droves. According to Nintendo’s latest report, Breath of the Wild has now sold over 33 million copies, behind Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at nearly 37 million copies, Animal Crossing: New Horizons at 48.6 million, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at over 69.5 million. With sales still increasing across consoles and games, there’s a chance that the Switch could even overtake the PS2’s lifetime sales one day.
With the original Switch approaching Nintendo’s biggest record, its successor has also had a record-breaking first year so far. As of late September, the Switch 2 has sold 10.36 million units, the most any console has ever sold at such speed. Because of that, Nintendo now expects to sell 19 million Switch 2 consoles by March 2026, up from its original estimate of 15 million. Catching up to the Switch’s phenomenal performance would still be a difficult task, but the Switch 2 could already be on track to do just that.
