Nintendo Switch becomes third best-selling console of all time after reaching 122 million sales

TL;DR: It’s not even been six years since Nintendo launched the Switch, yet in that short period, it has managed to sell over 122 million units, making it the third best-selling console of all time. The hybrid machine now sits behind the second-place Nintendo DS (154 million) and the PlayStation 2, which remains the number one best-seller with over 155 million units sold.

Nintendo’s latest earnings report shows that the Switch sold 14.91 million units during the nine months ending December 31, 2022, 8.22 million of which were sold in the three months leading up to the end of the year. That brings its lifetime total to 122.55 million units sold, placing it ahead of the Wii (101.63 million), PlayStation (102.49 million), and PlayStation 4 (117.2 million).

The best-selling consoles of all time. How many have you owned?

Breaking down the figures for each individual model shows that 5.22 million standard Nintendo Switches were sold throughout the fiscal year. OLED models were more successful, moving 7.69 million units, while 2 million Switch Lites were sold. Total unit sales were down -21.3% year-on-year due to the global chip shortage and lack of available consoles, though the OLED Switch almost doubled its sales figures compared to the previous FY.

Switch software sales also declined slightly year-on-year by -7%, though first-party games published by Nintendo enjoyed a sales increase thanks mostly to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, which sold 20.6 million copies between them in just six weeks. Nintendo also updated its list of best-selling first-party games: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is number one with 52 million units, followed by Animal Crossing: New Horizons (41.59 million) and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (30.44 million). More than 994.30 million Switch games have now been sold worldwide.

The original Switch’s hardware is starting to show its age now, which could be why the OLED model saw increased sales while the other two versions experienced declines last year. We recently heard that the company did plan an upgraded Switch Pro, but Nintendo reportedly changed its mind. With the transition to a new console “a major focus” for the Japanese giant, we’ll have to wait and see if the Switch is able to surpass the PlayStation 2 and become the best-selling console ever.

In other Switch news, a California court has just thrown out a class-action lawsuit over the Joy-Con drift issue. A report claims around 40% of all consoles experience the problem with their controllers, but it doesn’t seem to be deterring buyers.