Nintendo Switch has officially been crowned the most successful gaming console of all time when it comes to annual sales performance. According to a new study from Chicks Gold, the hybrid console has sold an average of 18.8 million units every year since its 2017 debut, racking up more than 150 million units globally. Not bad for a system that many people originally thought was a risky gamble.
Taking second place is PlayStation 5, which despite only being around since 2020, has stormed the market with an average of 15.12 million units sold per year. With over 75 million units shifted in just five years, Sony’s latest machine is proving the PlayStation brand still holds massive weight with gamers worldwide.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo DS rounds out the top three. The handheld sold a staggering 154 million units during its 11-year run, averaging 14 million units annually and cementing its place as one of the greatest handhelds of all time. For anyone who remembers PictoChat, Brain Training, and Pokémon marathons on the go, this result probably comes as no surprise.
Top 10 Most Successful Consoles by Annual Sales
- Nintendo Switch – 18.8m per year (150.36m total)
- PlayStation 5 – 15.12m per year (75.58m total)
- Nintendo DS – 14m per year (154.02m total)
- PlayStation 4 – 13.02m per year (117.2m total)
- PlayStation 2 – 12.31m per year (160.01m total)
- Nintendo Wii – 9.24m per year (101.63m total)
- Game Boy Advance – 9.06m per year (81.51m total)
- PlayStation – 8.54m per year (102.49m total)
- Game Boy – 8.48m per year (118.69m total)
- Nintendo 3DS – 8.44m per year (75.94m total)
On the flip side, not every console had the same golden run. At the very bottom of the list sits the Intellivision, which only managed to sell 0.45 million units annually during its 11 years on the market, reaching just 5 million total worldwide. Other commercial flops include the TurboGrafx-16, Sega Saturn, and the often overlooked PlayStation Vita—all systems that found small but passionate fanbases despite failing to break through on a wider scale.
The 5 Least Successful Consoles
- Intellivision – 0.45m per year (5m total)
- TurboGrafx-16 – 1.43m per year (10m total)
- Game Gear – 1.52m per year (10.62m total)
- Sega Saturn – 1.54m per year (9.26m total)
- PlayStation Vita – 1.64m per year (13.13m total)
Regional breakdowns from the study are equally fascinating. North America can’t get enough of the Nintendo Switch, which has shifted more than 52 million units there alone. Over in Europe, the PlayStation 2 still holds the crown as the region’s favourite, with 55 million units sold. Meanwhile, Japan continues its long-running love affair with Nintendo, with the Switch leading the pack at nearly 36 million units sold in the country.
Speaking on the results, Al Alof, CEO of Chicks Gold, said: “The Nintendo Switch has achieved something remarkable by appealing broadly to casual and hardcore gamers alike. What’s clear from this data is that newer consoles are managing to outperform older ones on a yearly basis, showing just how much the gaming industry continues to grow despite competition from mobile and PC.”
Whether you’re team PlayStation, Nintendo, or Xbox, one thing’s certain—gamers today have never had it so good.
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