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Nintendo Game and Console Sales By The Numbers
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Nintendo consoles have consistently ranked among the best-selling game consoles of all time.
The video game company, founded in 1889, released their first home gaming console, the Color TV-Game in 1977, and then their widely-known Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985.
Since then, the company hasn’t slowed down, having distributed a new console at least every five years until the release of the Switch in 2017.
This graphic visualizes the number of games and console units sold for each Nintendo console, as well as its release year and console type. The release dates represent U.S. release dates and console sale figures include variant models, such as the Switch Lite and Switch OLED.
The data comes from Nintendo and is updated as of March 2024.
The Nintendo DS is Nintendo’s Top-Selling Console
The Nintendo DS and its various models have sold a total of 154 million units, making it the highest-selling Nintendo console.
Its innovative dual-screen design—with the first touchscreen in handheld gaming–and multiplayer capabilities set it apart from other gaming consoles at the time, like the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
| Console | Console type | Release year | Console sales (units, millions) | Software sales (units, millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo Switch (all models) | Hybrid | 2017 | 141 | 1,236 |
| Wii U | Hybrid | 2012 | 14 | 104 |
| Nintendo 3DS (all models) | Handheld | 2011 | 76 | 392 |
| Wii | Home | 2006 | 102 | 922 |
| Nintendo DS (all models) | Handheld | 2004 | 154 | 949 |
| Nintendo GameCube | Home | 2001 | 22 | 209 |
| Game Boy Advance (all models) | Handheld | 2001 | 82 | 377 |
| Nintendo 64 | Home | 1996 | 33 | 225 |
| SNES | Home | 1990 | 49 | 379 |
| Game Boy | Handheld | 1989 | 119 | 501 |
| NES | Home | 1985 | 62 | 500 |
Beyond the DS, Nintendo’s handheld devices have consistently outsold their home console counterparts. Nintendo’s newest console, the Switch, leads in game sales with 1.2 billion units sold, and is also the company’s second top-selling console.
The Switch’s hybrid gaming capability is also the first of its kind. The console combines the features of handheld and home consoles in one device with its docking abilities and removable joy-con controllers.
The Wii, released in 2006, was Nintendo’s best selling home console by far, with 102 million units sold. However, its successor, the Wii U, was the worst-selling Nintendo console by far.
The Nintendo Switch’s Successor
Earlier this year, Nintendo posted on X that they would announce the Nintendo Switch’s successor within this fiscal year, which ends March 31st, 2025.
Not much is known about the console, but the phrasing of it being the successor to the Nintendo Switch suggests it could be another home and handheld hybrid console.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about video game consoles over the years, check out this graphic which shows the launch prices of video game consoles adjusted for inflation.