Revealed: The Nintendo Switch is the most successful game console of all time
Research has revealed that the Nintendo Switch is the most successful game console of all time
The Nintendo DS and PlayStation 4 take second and third respectively.
The next generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X make the top ten
New research has revealed the most successful game consoles of all time, with the Nintendo Switch topping the list.
Analysis conducted by online delivery experts NextDayDelivery.co.uk studied sales data for game consoles over time and found that the Nintendo Switch is the most successful game console ever.
Released in 2017, the Switch has sold over 90 million units in just four years of production, giving it the top spot in the list with an average of 22 million consoles sold per year. Many of these sales came during 2020, with sales on games for the console increasing 122% during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK. The Switch was revolutionary as it was the world’s first hybrid console, that could be used on a TV and as a handheld at the same time.
| Console | Units sold (million) | Years in production | Average sold per year (million) |
| Nintendo Switch | 90.54 | 4 | 22.64 |
| Nintendo DS | 154.9 | 9 | 17.21 |
| PlayStation 4 | 116.44 | 8 | 14.56 |
| PlayStation 5 | 13.4 | 1 | 13.4 |
| PlayStation 2 | 157.68 | 12 | 13.14 |
| PlayStation 3 | 87.41 | 9 | 9.71 |
| Wii | 101.64 | 11 | 9.24 |
| Game Boy Advance | 81.51 | 9 | 9.06 |
| Xbox Series X | 9 | 1 | 9 |
| PlayStation | 102.5 | 12 | 8.54 |
| Game Boy | 118.69 | 14 | 8.48 |
| Nintendo 3DS | 75.94 | 9 | 8.44 |
| PlayStation Portable | 81.09 | 10 | 8.11 |
| Xbox 360 | 85.8 | 11 | 7.80 |
| Xbox One | 50.37 | 8 | 6.30 |
| Nintendo 64 | 32.93 | 6 | 5.49 |
| Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 49.1 | 13 | 3.78 |
| GameCube | 21.74 | 6 | 3.62 |
| Nintendo Entertainment System | 61.91 | 18 | 3.44 |
| Xbox (Original) | 24.65 | 8 | 3.08 |
| Sega Genesis | 29.54 | 11 | 2.69 |
| Atari 2600 | 27.64 | 16 | 1.73 |