Nintendo Switch Becomes the Best-Selling Console in Company History, While Switch 2 Leads in Speed

It’s been on the horizon for a while, and now it’s official: the Nintendo Switch has officially become Nintendo’s best-selling console ever, and it’s also the second-best-selling console in history.

In its latest financial report, Nintendo announced that the Switch has sold 155.37 million units, surpassing the Nintendo DS’s lifetime total of 154.02 million. During this period, an astonishing 1.5 billion games for the Switch have been sold.

The standout titles on the Switch are among the most successful games ever. *Mario Kart 8 Deluxe* has moved over 70 million copies, while *Animal Crossing: New Horizons* is nearing 50 million. The latter’s significant role during the pandemic gaming surge played a crucial part in the Switch’s impressive sales. However, the real secret to the Switch’s success lies in Nintendo’s foresight to merge handheld and home console gaming into one device at just the right moment.

Currently, it seems Nintendo has managed to replicate this success with the Switch 2. The new console has maintained a rapid sales trajectory, moving 7 million units in the third quarter of 2025, bringing its total to 17.37 million—10 million units ahead of the original Switch during the same period. While it sold slightly fewer units during its first holiday season compared to the Switch, this could be attributed to Nintendo’s commitment to ensuring a steady supply since launch, resulting in less pent-up demand. *Mario Kart World* has already sold 14 million copies, achieving an impressive 80% attach rate with the console.

Seven months post-launch, the Switch 2 is still the fastest-selling console ever, outpacing the records set by the Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Nintendo humbly noted in its investor communications, “We believe we have been able to get off to a good start.” Interestingly, the company has not adjusted its forecast for the Switch 2, expecting it to sell 19 million units in its first fiscal year, even though it now seems poised to exceed that target.

Despite the Switch 2’s relatively high price in a challenging economic climate and the potential for further price hikes due to chip shortages, there are currently no signs of a slowdown in sales.

As for the original Switch, it remains in second place in the all-time sales rankings, trailing the PlayStation 2, which Sony claims sold over 160 million units. Selling an additional 5 million units may prove challenging in the shadow of its immensely popular successor. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? Perhaps not. We’ll see how it unfolds.