While console sales can fluctuate based on market trends and company strategies, it can take decades for the list of “best-selling consoles of all time” to undergo a significant change. However, the long-standing record of the PlayStation 2 as the best-selling console in history might soon be challenged.
Nintendo Switch Could Overtake the PS2
Although Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft tend to be secretive about their exact console sales figures, general sales data can be sourced from various references and reports.
Currently, the PlayStation 2, with over 155 million units sold worldwide, and the Nintendo DS, which has surpassed 154 million units, hold the top two spots on the list. However, Nintendo’s long-lasting console, the Switch, is rapidly gaining ground and could potentially surpass its competitors.
Mat Piscatella, known for providing reliable console sales data on Twitter, recently shared updates on total sales figures in the United States. Piscatella revealed that the PlayStation 5 has managed to outsell its predecessor, the PlayStation 4, by 7% in the U.S., indicating that the PS5 might end up being a more successful console than the PS4. The well-known tipster also noted that the Nintendo Switch is now just 1.1 million units behind the PlayStation 2 in the all-time best-selling consoles list.
If there are no dramatic changes in sales trends for the Switch or the PlayStation 2, the Switch could become the best-selling console of all time within the next three months.