Nintendo Switch Is Now The Second Best-Selling Console Ever

Nintendo Switch Is Now the Second Best-Selling Console Ever

Last updated: 2026/02/04 at 7:59 AM

News Room Published 4 February 2026

Gamers have known it was coming, but Nintendo finally broke a record set and held by its DS handheld for over a decade. The Nintendo Switch is now the best-selling Nintendo console ever, making it the second-most-popular games console to date.

New sales figures from Nintendo say the nine-year-old console has now sold 155.37 million units. Its Nintendo DS handheld, originally released in 2004, was the previous record holder at 154 million units. The Switch continues to sell, so it may end its run with a significant lead over the DS.

Switch sales have remained strong despite the launch of the newer Switch 2 and a price increase for the older hardware. However, the Switch 2 costs more, and the original Switch has a vast library of games, which may tempt new buyers.

The Switch 2 has also beaten the brand’s Wii U in lifetime sales in less than a year on sale. That’s not a huge surprise considering Nintendo previously called the Switch 2 its fastest-selling console of all time. It has now sold 17.37 million Switch 2 consoles, while the Wii U sold under 14 million in its five years on sale between 2012 and 2017.

Sales may slow if Nintendo raises the Switch 2’s price, given ongoing RAM price increases. Nintendo’s president, Shuntaro Furukawa, hasn’t confirmed whether a price increase is coming, but he hinted it’s a possibility at a later date.

According to Bloomberg, Furukawa told analysts, “We do not expect major impact during the fourth quarter of this year. However, from the next fiscal year onward, if this price hike lasts longer than anticipated, it could potentially put pressure on our profitability.”

Nintendo’s next target is the best-selling console of all time: Sony’s PlayStation 2. The console from 2000 sold at least 160 million units, though Sony has not confirmed exact sales figures. The PlayStation 2 was on sale for over 13 years, with production continuing into 2013, just before the release of the PlayStation 4.