Switch Becomes Nintendo's Best-Selling Hardware Ever, While Switch 2 Has Already Outsold Wii U's Lifetime Total

The archetypal Switch is present officially Nintendo's best-selling hardware ever, portion Switch 2 has already eclipsed the income of the company's disastrous Wii U successful conscionable 9 months.

Nintendo's latest fiscal results person revealed updated hardware totals for some of the company's Switch generations, with the archetypal Switch present sitting connected beingness income of 155.37 cardinal units. Finally, this edges it past the Nintendo DS' full of 154.02 cardinal units — making it Nintendo's astir fashionable console family.

As for Switch 2, portion we already knew that the console was the fastest-selling hardware the institution has released, a caller income full has placed the console connected 17.37 cardinal income arsenic of December 31, 2025. This is capable to guarantee it has already beaten the beingness income of Wii U — which lone managed a paltry 13.56 cardinal and is considered 1 of Nintendo's fewer failures.

Comparing the Switch and Switch 2, a income graph published by Nintendo shows its newer console passing the 15 cardinal income milestone aft 30 weeks, portion the archetypal Switch had not deed this people aft 45 weeks. But, of course, the archetypal Switch launched disconnected the backmost of the Wii U — portion the Switch 2 has been capable to pivot customers implicit from the Switch itself.

"We judge we person been capable to get disconnected to a bully start," Nintendo said of the Switch 2 motorboat today. "With our dedicated video crippled platforms anterior to Nintendo Switch, our narration with consumers was interrupted whenever they purchased a caller platform, which presented challenges," Nintendo said. "In contrast, the Nintendo Switch instal base, which is our largest ever, and the information that galore consumers proceed to play connected the platform, supply a beardown concern instauration that has supported the motorboat of Nintendo Switch 2."

Recent reporting has suggested that Switch 2 experienced a income slowdown successful the U.S. and immoderate European countries towards the extremity of 2025, though globally the company's totals overgarment a much affirmative picture. According to Nintendo's stats, 129 cardinal radical played connected its hardware during 2025, down 1 cardinal from the twelvemonth earlier but inactive Nintendo's second-best full ever. In accompanying notes, Nintendo suggested the flimsy dip reflected the "juncture betwixt level generations."

But portion the Switch whitethorn beryllium Nintendo's best-selling hardware ever, it inactive has a fewer cardinal units to spell earlier it dethrones Sony's best-selling hardware ever: PlayStation 2. Sony has estimated it sold astir 160 cardinal units of its deed console (and DVD player), meaning the Switch inactive has conscionable nether 5 cardinal income to spell if it wants to adjacent the gap.

Rather amusingly, Sony lone revised its PS2 income estimation upward to 160 cardinal successful November 2024, arsenic Nintendo's console neared its crown. Had Sony not done this, the Switch would person present go the best-selling console globally of each time. Can Nintendo inactive surpass this? It's going to beryllium tough, but not impossible. The Switch sold different 3.25 cardinal units implicit the past 9 months, though with Switch 2 present established, the older console's income momentum volition lone proceed to decline. Still, should Nintendo support the archetypal Switch connected merchantability for different mates of years, it whitethorn inactive instrumentality the rubric yet.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social