Nintendo just released its financial results for November 2025, and the numbers confirm something momentous is about to happen: the Nintendo Switch is on the absolute precipice of becoming Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time. As of September 30, 2025, the Switch has sold 154.01 million units worldwide. The Nintendo DS currently holds the record at 154.02 million units. That’s a gap of 10,000 units. Ten thousand. Given that the Switch continues selling in notable quantities and the data only extends through the end of September, it’s almost certain the milestone has already been passed by the time you’re reading this.
A Historic Achievement Nearly Complete
The Nintendo DS held the crown for nearly 20 years. Released in 2004, the DS became one of gaming’s most successful consoles, selling 154.02 million units during its lifetime (2004-2013). It was the second-best selling console ever, behind only the PlayStation 2’s 160+ million units. For two decades, the DS defined handheld gaming and remains an icon of the 7th generation.
The Switch’s rise to this position is remarkable because it’s a hybrid console – part home console, part handheld. It launched in March 2017, meaning it took roughly eight years to close a gap that took the DS nearly its entire decade-long lifespan. By next financial report in February 2026, the Switch will almost certainly have passed the DS and become Nintendo’s best-selling console ever.
Why This Matters Beyond Numbers
The Switch’s trajectory isn’t just about reaching a number. It represents how Nintendo found the perfect formula in an era when critics said console gaming was dying. The pandemic helped (Animal Crossing: New Horizons became a cultural phenomenon during lockdowns), but the console’s versatility was the real story. Want to play at home on your TV? Done. Want to play on the go? Done. Want to play in tabletop mode with a friend? Done. The Switch’s three-mode design created accessibility that previous consoles couldn’t achieve.
The software library is equally impressive. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold 69.56 million copies – meaning one out of every 2.2 Switch owners bought that single game. Animal Crossing: New Horizons hit 48.62 million. Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom combined sold 55.49 million. These aren’t just good numbers – they’re historically dominant software sales.
The Switch 2’s Rocket Start
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch 2 (launched June 2025) has already sold 10.36 million units in just four months – making it the fastest-selling console of all time. To put this in perspective, the original Switch took nine months to reach 10 million units. The Switch 2 did it in four. Nintendo has raised its full-year sales forecast for Switch 2 from 15 million to 19 million units, and is reportedly looking to have manufactured 25 million units by March 2026.
This suggests the Switch 2 could potentially surpass the Wii U’s entire lifetime sales (13.56 million) by the end of 2025 – just seven months into its release. The Wii U was a commercial failure that Nintendo has largely tried to forget. The Switch 2 is proving to be an unqualified success that’s already overshadowing its predecessor’s entire run.
The PlayStation 2 Still Looms
While the Switch is about to claim the title of Nintendo’s best-selling console, it still trails the PlayStation 2’s 160+ million units for all-time console sales. But that record is within reach. With the Switch still actively selling millions of units per year and two more financial reporting quarters coming, there’s a genuine possibility the Switch could surpass the PS2 before the decade ends. That would make it the single best-selling console in gaming history – an achievement that would reshape how we understand the console market’s actual peak.
The PS2 held its record for over 20 years. The Switch might break it within eight years of launch. That’s the measure of how successful this console has been.
| Console | Lifetime Sales (Millions) | Software Sales (Millions) | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 | 160+ | 3.8 billion | 2000 |
| Nintendo DS | 154.02 | 948.76 | 2004 |
| Nintendo Switch | 154.01 | 1,452.79 | 2017 |
| Game Boy | 118.69 | N/A | 1989 |
| Wii | 101.56 | 914.42 | 2006 |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | 10.36 (4 months in) | 20.62 | 2025 |
The Software Story: Where Switch Really Dominates
Here’s where the Switch’s achievement becomes even more remarkable: software sales. The Switch has moved 1,452.79 million software units – that’s 1.45 billion games sold. The DS managed 948.76 million. Even the PS2’s estimated 3.8 billion software units doesn’t account for modern digital distribution (PS2 was all physical).
In terms of hardware efficiency – games per console – the Switch is nearly matching the PS2 while only selling slightly fewer consoles. That suggests the Switch has captured mindshare and engagement in ways previous consoles struggled to achieve. Players aren’t just buying the hardware. They’re buying multiple games and playing them repeatedly.
What This Means for Gaming’s Future
The Switch’s success fundamentally reshapes how we understand the console market. The PS2 dominated when home consoles were the undisputed center of gaming. The Switch succeeded by obliterating the distinction between home and handheld gaming. That’s the lesson publishers and manufacturers are learning for the next generation.
The Switch 2’s early success suggests that hybrid gaming isn’t just a gimmick Nintendo stumbled onto. It’s the future of console gaming. Every major competitor is either developing hybrid systems or reconsidering what “console” even means in an age of mobile gaming and PC gaming.
FAQs
How many units has the Nintendo Switch sold?
As of September 30, 2025, the Nintendo Switch has sold 154.01 million units worldwide, making it Nintendo’s second best-selling console, just 10,000 units behind the Nintendo DS’s 154.02 million.
Is the Switch now Nintendo’s best-selling console?
Not officially as of September 30, 2025, but it’s almost certainly surpassed the DS by now since the Switch continues selling actively and the data only extends through September. The next official financial report will confirm it.
How many games have sold on the Switch?
1,452.79 million Switch games have been sold lifetime as of September 30, 2025. This is significantly more than the DS’s 948.76 million.
What’s the best-selling game on Switch?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with 69.56 million copies sold. That’s roughly one out of every 2.2 Switch owners purchasing that single game.
How fast is the Switch 2 selling?
The Switch 2 has sold 10.36 million units in just four months (as of September 30, 2025), making it the fastest-selling console of all time. The original Switch took nine months to reach 10 million.
Can the Switch catch the PlayStation 2?
Possibly. The PS2 has 160+ million lifetime sales. The Switch is at 154.01 million. With continued sales and the Switch 2’s momentum, the original Switch could potentially surpass the PS2 within the next few years, making it the best-selling console ever.
Why is the Switch so successful?
The hybrid design (home console and handheld in one device), outstanding software library (Mario, Zelda, Animal Crossing), timing during the pandemic, and Nintendo’s first-party development have all contributed to unprecedented success.
What does this mean for future consoles?
The Switch’s success suggests hybrid gaming is the future. Console manufacturers are reevaluating what “home console” and “handheld” even mean, with future systems likely adopting similar flexible approaches.
Conclusion
The Nintendo Switch’s journey from a curiosity (“Wait, it’s both a home console AND a handheld?”) to becoming Nintendo’s best-selling console ever represents one of gaming’s greatest success stories. In the span of eight years, it went from launch to eclipsing a console that held its record for two decades. More remarkably, it did so while the Switch 2 is already smashing sales records, proving the market didn’t just love the Switch – they love what Nintendo discovered about hybrid gaming.
When the next financial report drops in February 2026, the Switch will officially be crowned Nintendo’s best-selling console. Soon after, it might become gaming’s best-selling console ever. That’s the magnitude of what Nintendo achieved with this remarkable piece of hardware. The Switch wasn’t just successful – it fundamentally changed how people understand what a gaming console can be.