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The original Switch is now officially Nintendo’s best-selling hardware ever, while Switch 2 has already eclipsed the sales of the company’s disastrous Wii U in just nine months.
Nintendo’s latest financial results have revealed updated hardware totals for both of the company’s Switch generations, with the original Switch now sitting on lifetime sales of 155.37 million units. Finally, this edges it past the Nintendo DS’ total of 154.02 million units — making it Nintendo’s most popular console family.
As for Switch 2, while we already knew that the console was the fastest-selling hardware the company has released, a fresh sales total has placed the console on 17.37 million sales as of December 31, 2025. This is enough to ensure it has already beaten the lifetime sales of Wii U — which only managed a paltry 13.56 million and is considered one of Nintendo’s few failures.
Comparing the Switch and Switch 2, a sales graph published by Nintendo shows its newer console passing the 15 million sales milestone after 30 weeks, while the original Switch had not hit this mark after 45 weeks. But, of course, the original Switch launched off the back of the Wii U — while the Switch 2 has been able to pivot customers over from the Switch itself.
“We believe we have been able to get off to a good start,” Nintendo said of the Switch 2 launch today. “With our dedicated video game platforms prior to Nintendo Switch, our relationship with consumers was interrupted whenever they purchased a new platform, which presented challenges,” Nintendo said. “In contrast, the Nintendo Switch install base, which is our largest ever, and the fact that many consumers continue to play on the platform, provide a strong business foundation that has supported the launch of Nintendo Switch 2.”
Recent reporting has suggested that Switch 2 experienced a sales slowdown in the U.S. and some European countries towards the end of 2025, though globally the company’s totals paint a more positive picture. According to Nintendo’s stats, 129 million people played on its hardware during 2025, down 1 million from the year before but still Nintendo’s second-best total ever. In accompanying notes, Nintendo suggested the slight dip reflected the “juncture between platform generations.”
But while the Switch may be Nintendo’s best-selling hardware ever, it still has a few million units to go before it dethrones Sony’s best-selling hardware ever: PlayStation 2. Sony has estimated it sold around 160 million units of its hit console (and DVD player), meaning the Switch still has just under 5 million sales to go if it wants to close the gap.
Rather amusingly, Sony only revised its PS2 sales estimate upward to 160 million in November 2024, as Nintendo’s console neared its crown. Had Sony not done this, the Switch would have now become the best-selling console globally of all time. Can Nintendo still surpass this? It’s going to be tough, but not impossible. The Switch sold another 3.25 million units over the past nine months, though with Switch 2 now established, the older console’s sales momentum will only continue to decline. Still, should Nintendo keep the original Switch on sale for another couple of years, it may still take the title yet.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
