Poll: Do You Think Switch Can Catch PS2's Total Sales Before 'Switch 2' Arrives?

Probably not, but it wouldn't be impossible. The PS2 sales record just feels kind of immortal and unbeatable, like Wayne Gretzky's hockey stats. It'll be weird if anything ever does overtake it

at this point is a 2d mario game really going to entice someone to buy a switch who hasn't already?

If they want the next console to be a hit, they just need one thing: backward compatibility.

Here is the thing to consider

• Switch has not had a console price cut yet. That alone stimulates HW sales noticeably as past precedence have shown.
• It’s not like the Switch will stop being sold the moment the Switch 2 or whatever is announced, prerelease, or even post release. Remember how long the 3DS was still hanging around since the Switch dropped?

Will I think Switch will overcome PS2 before the next machine drops? No. Is there a chance later? Yeah. People were still buying 3DS and PS4s long after their sequel platforms launched.

I doubt Switch will outsell PS2 by now, rumours about new hardware are incessant (And let's be fair here, it's about time), 26 million more units is a lot to shift for a console that's 6 years old.

Some people only bought the ps2 for a dvd player.

I don't know...it seems a little unlikely, but then again... I thought the switch's lifetime sales would be around 120 million. So I've been wrong before 😅

If the switch (oled) gets a price cut, sales will rise.

If its holiday next year which I fully believe next generation will be releasing then no Switch will not pass PS2

@JeanPaul
Totally agree.
I want to login into my account and be able to redownload all my games.

I was always leaning no, and as of late it is becoming increasingly impossible.
Best Buy, Target and Walmart have shelves of the 4 main variants of Switch Lite along with plenty of OLED models. Sometimes they are so numerous that they open up another shelf. Market is saturated. Unless Nintendo has amazing bundles or price drops either in
1. Black Friday
2. After New Year/when new console gets announced
Or 3. When console releases and they want to clear shelf space
I see almost no chance of then breaking the record

I think it's going to depend on

-when the Switch 2 is announced.
-if Switch 2 is BC.
-any new Switch models announced (Lite OLED?).
-any permanent discounts.

Worse case for future Switch sales: Nintendo announces Switch 2 at gamescon with full BC and no new Switch models, no discount on Switch till after Switch 2 launch.

I think it has a chance, especially if they keep as a low cost option. They did it for a while with the 2ds. It will get a nice boot in the fall with the new Mario game and will have a decent holiday season, I am sure.

It’s possible.

It would be nice to see Switch reach 155+ million but that doesn't matter if the Switch 2 can barely sell half. DS to 3DS feels like the best example: 154M to 76M. The Switch 2 needs to be a success also.

Why would it need to reach that number before the Switch 2 comes out? Sony sold the PS2 for 12+ years. It got discontinued the same year the PS4 came out.

@abe_hikura
They are not going to announce it later this month
They could meet with developers behind closed doors and NDA to reveal it to them, but not to the public

Many people doesn't realizes that PS2 had just a bit above 100m when PS3 were released in 2005... It still co-existed along with PS3 before it stopped at 158m in 2013, same year of the launch of PS4!

It's so amazing that so many people who still stubbornly refuses to accept the fact that Switch has now +20m more sold units compared with PS2 in the same timeline... PS4 came out 4 years before Switch and is still co-existing along with PS5 which soon is 3 years old now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2_sales

Why are so many so incredibly worried about that Switch may surpassing NDS+PS2? Techs comes and goes constantly, new benchmarks and records also gets broken constantly.

Fact:
PS2: 103.5m on its 6th year anniversary
Switch: 124m on its 6th year anniversary

That's a huge difference, since Switch never got a worldwide price-cut, while PS2 were dirt cheap at that time.

No way in hell. Now on the other hand, if the record is what they want, they should release a special limited DS redesign with a few bells and whistles something like "20th anniversary edition" to get the extra million required and put a Nintendo machine in the top position.

Sony can swing a lot of late-gen volume with aggressive discounts and whatnot. It's why the PS3 caught up with the 360.

Nintendo is more into profit than sales volume and expanding market share, and I think they'll probably want to transition people over to the new hardware sooner than later, which will work against the system's total numbers after 2024.

The huge optimist in me would say yes.

But I am no optimist but a realist, if Tears of the Kingdom is the last true system seller (at this point it looks that way, new system is getting announced next year) then they get probably 5 to 7 million units short to PS2.

If they get another game of that level (Metroid Prime 4, where are you?) then the chances of of getting past DS and PS2 get considerably higher, dare to say it would even happen in real.

@Keman PS2 kept selling after PS3 came out also because PS3 was bloody expensive (starting at €499, that was a ton of money in 2007)

And yes 2007, because another reason PS2 kept selling was that PS3 didn’t release until 2007 in Europe, so that market was left behind for another year. (PS3 released in november 2006 in Japan and US if I remember correctly)

@nitrolink
I don't know how they are going to pull it off
Backwards compatibility will help it sell more, but that was the same case with 3DS
Trading the OLED for LCD is a step backwards
Though there are rumors they are making it larger to make it up for it, which also makes it less portable.

My guess is yes, eventually, but not by much.

Probably not unless they dropped the Switch price by 30% on all models before the end of the year. Also the Switch 2 doesn't exist. The Switch could beat the PS2 numbers by the end of 2024 though. Remember the PS2 was on the market for 10 years (2000-2010) to get to that 158 million units sold, Switch is only on its 6th year. If it could beat the PS2 numbers at the end of 2024 then not only would it be the fastest selling console of all time but the fastest to beat the PS2 in less time.

@Keman
Multiple factors you failed to take into account:
#1 PS2 was a cheap DVD player so ppl kept buying
#2 PS3 lost its generation
#3 Covid and scalpers kept PS5 supplies low in its infancy so ppl kept buying PS4 since Sony was smart enough to keep vast majority of games compatible with both

Nintendo will just talk kind of opaquely about lifetime sales anyway, as they do with Game Boy, rolling clearly distinct systems into the "family of systems" to inflate the numbers and obscure any missteps.

@jamesthemagi
Haha yeah. Switch 2 is guaranteed not to sell as well as Switch 1, but hopefully it can get to 100M. The Switch generation has been great thankfully, so we can rest easy about sales numbers.

@Serpenterror I just hope the Switch successor has a totally different name than Switch and looks different enough.

Because I still remember how many people didn’t buy “that expensive tablet accessory for the Wii”

@Rayquaza2510

Didn't you clicked on that link in my previous post? It shows detailed sales of PS2 for every years.

There're 3 different final numbers for PS2 on internet, 155, 156 and 158.

@jamesthemagi
I has already said in earlier posts that PS2 sold well because of its DVD-player. Despite it, only 4 games on PS2 managed to crack 10m sold copies, it just shows that many just bought PS2 solely for its DVD-player instead of its games.

PS3 a lost generation? Come again! It sold almost 90m and actually surpassed Xbox360 which everyone thought were possible for years. And PS3 has many of the best selling PS-games ever.
Ps3 just sold about 15m less than PSX in the end, which isn't that bad!

This appears to be very sensitive topic for many, since it's a post-Iwata console But the fact still remains, no matter of what everyone says the otherwise, Switch WILL 100% surpass NDS/PS2. Just wait until 2025 then.

@Rayquaza2510 I agree with this, the switch library is so robust they would have to really blow me away, whether in new games or hardware. Idgaf about backwards compatibility cause I dont need a new machine for the same games I've been playing for 30 years. Who knows, maybe theyll take a stab at VR, virtual boy 2 perhaps?

Nintendo does not sell hardware at a loss. Considering current inflation rates, I don't think there's much room or incentive for drastic price cuts. The Switch is still selling well enough at the existing price points.

Also, Nintendo is diversifying their portfolio, with the Mario movie being a sizable source of revenue.

«Do You Think Switch Can Catch PS2's Total Sales Before 'Switch 2' Arrives?»
I want it. But without price cuts and some swan song titles(Metroid Prime 4)... I doubt it.

I doubt it. The only path I see to breaking the record would be at least 1-2 more giant game releases (at least A-tier IPs, if not S, or something new that's extremely good) before the Switch 2 is announced, which might bring it within shooting distance, then a price drop or bundle worth approx. $100 or more around the time of Switch 2 announcement that eventually inches it past PS2. Very unlikely, all said.

2 main reasons PS2 sold the way it did.
1. Cheap DVD player
2. The dam thing has a high failure rate especially the disc laser. (Still not as bad as red ring though)

I'm sure something will eventually beat the ps2 record. There's probably an extra billion people on the planet now than when the ps2 stopped selling.

@Keman some free advice

Next time refesh your page before commenting 😊

Because I did read your link and edit my message before you reacted to me.

Anyhow I do agree with other comment saying PS3 is a lost generation.

For one, sales are not everything look at the PSP.

Second, look at how hard Sony was pushing the PS3 later on to have any sales at all.

PS4 never had that issue because Sony didn’t repeat same mistakes with that system.

Hmm, I don't think they would do a permanent price drop, but probably a limited time only price drop.

PS5 is selling gangbusters right now because of the price drop, so who knows if Switch can keep up the pace.

Same thing with NDS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_DS_sales

I'm quite shocked by that it actually sold almost 145m during its 6th year anniversary, which it means that it outpaced PS2 by 40m! That's nuts!

But sadly the sales of NDS suddenly died afterwards. Otherwise it had sold so much more than PS2 then.

Well that's enough of me on this thread. I'll accept and respect that many people sees this matter in a very differently by many different reasons.

Just one last input.
Switch MAY have as much as 145m as mostly on 3/3-2024 which it means that Switch just needs another 10m-15m to surpass PS2. That Switch continues and had outsell PS4/X1 and PS5/Xbox-Series despite being massively underpowered, just shows that there're so much life remaining in Switch still even now.

Nintendo by themselves had by numerous occasions told that Switch will have a prolonged life-cycle.
That day when Nintendo decides to give Switch its first real price-cut, it will move a lot of more units then.

I would definitely not bet against it. It’s still selling well without a price cut and with a vast library of good games. There are billions of people who don’t have a Switch. Once it gets a decent price cut, the Switch will probably become an affordable gateway to gaming and continue selling.

Prepare for the age old argument of Switch not being a real home console once it beats PS2. Gamers are just weird like that.

Even if it doesn't get there, the Switch still did pretty well without being an EA Sports / porn DVD machine.

I doubt it will get there but maybe with aggressive bundles or discounts

Switch OLED - $299 w/ included game

Switch Lite - $169 w/ included game

It depends on three things.

1, when will the "Switch 2" launch, as if it's still 2-3 years out then thats a lot of time to gain more sales by releasing must have games.

2, if when the "Switch 2" does release they continue to support the Switch as well by releasing cross gen games for a year or two, like playstation and xbox have done.

3, if the "Switch 2" isn't backwards compatible then people will continue buy the switch especially when deep price cuts start to happen.

I think that when the super switch arrives, the oled model will be discontinued, the regular will be around in the transition period and the lite will keep existing way into the switch 2 lifespan as a cloud gaming device. that gives plenty of time to pump those numbers

If the have a price cut, they might, if not i don't see it happening anytime soon.

Nintendo drop the price of the Switch? This is Nintendo.

@jamesthemagi I agree, an announcement at Gamescom is an even weirder play than just doing their own independent live show

Weirdly specific options in the first poll.

I will buy an OLED when the prices are going to be cut. But knowing Nintendo they won’t. 3dses were so hard to get once the switch came out and were almost as expensive as a switch in the end.

@Bobb
That and the fact it played DVD's. I knew several people who bought one back then simply for that reason (games was just a bonus to them).

It can...but needs a proper price drop. At this stage, you won't sell consoles with software. You sell consoles with price drop. A nig one. In 2nd and 3rd world countries, switch is a luxury item. I grew up in south america, taxes are incredibly high. A switch could cost 600 bucks, officially, in places like Brazil. Maybe 500. That's an insanely huge market. If nintendo can release a 99 bucks console...it might outsell the ps2. Switch has a great advantage over the ps2: you can have multiple devices in a single household. You need that lite at 119-99 bucks, switch at 199-179 or less. It's a 9 year old chip...

Doubt it. But if it has the same lifespan, then I think it easily can at least top it by a little.

As I said in another article, Nintendo would need to sell 25 million Switches to beat the DS, and they're projecting to sell 15 million for the next fiscal year. Pulling off 25 million, much less 26 million, is a tall order, especially with their next system allegedly around the corner.

Furthermore, we don't really know the exact sales numbers of the PS2. The listing on Wikipedia for all of the consoles does indeed put the PS2 at over 155 million. But there is another Wikipedia article specific to PS2 sales which put it at around 158.70 million units sold as of 2013 (even though Sony stopped updating those sales numbers in 2012), over 3 million more than what their "List of best-selling game consoles" says.

Therefore, Nintendo would have to sell about 30 million units to overtake the PS2, an even taller order. Unless Nintendo does aggressive price cuts and bundles to boost sales (and maybe come out with a late-system "killer app"), I just don't see them being able to sell 30 million more units, especially when their next system launches. More than likely, once the new system comes out, Switch sales will drop off a cliff, like it did with the 3DS after the Switch launched.

Still, being the third best-selling system of all time (with the second best-selling system being the Nintendo DS) is nothing to sneeze at. It proves that Nintendo is not doomed, despite what the haters say. There is still a great deal of life left in the hardware manufacturing business for the company. Ergo, they won't be going the way of Sega anytime soon.

@jamesthemagi PS3 didn’t win the generation…but I wouldn’t say lost either since it beat 360. Guess it depends on how you look at it.

I don't think it will catch the ps2. A price cut depends on what the switch 2 is really. If it's a switch 2 then yes. If it is a home console only then no.

@mattesdude
Fair

@AstroTheGamosian
If the next Fiscal year you are referencing is April 2024 to March 2025, instead of the current then you are completely wrong.
The Switch is at 129 M as of the end of Q1 of the current financial year. Let's say Q2 (which is now) they sell 3M, Q3 they can sell 7M and Q4 they will sell 3M. That means the current financial year will finish at 142M + 15M = 157M
I suggest you switch your wording to:
Nintendo is projecting 15M Unit sales the "current" fiscal year.

Maybe if nintendo still sold switch 1 with discounted price when switch 2 release. I really hope switch 2 will have oled screen since I don't want to go back to lcd again lol.

They’ll either release a 2DS/Wii mini esq. entry level system (think less “Switch Lite OLED” and more “Switch Lite Dot Matrix”). They will want an entry level system around for a couple of years while the Switch 2 costs upwards of £350.

The question is whether that’s enough to see them over the line. I do think Switch will continue to sell in a way that 3DS didn’t quite manage though.

Honestly don't want or need a Switch 2 until the others are ready for their next consoles, lest we get another underpowered system that devs will avoid porting to next consoles era.

With an asterisk*, yes

The gaming market is so much larger and accessible is we look at 2017 - 2030 vs. 2000 - 2013.

I'm not sure if its fair to just compare unit sales without that context. However, if we look at the same 13 cycle, (launch to end of life for PS2) Switch should beat PS2.

That's less than 1M (0.93M) units per quarter OR 3.71M per year, until end of calendar year 2030.

Not a Betty Downer but maybe they need to take a step back and look at how fast it took to make the sales growth in less then 7 years number compared to lifetime sales of no longer in production consoles. All this talk about over taking sales is just a Red Herring and distraction from the real performance sales and staying power that no other consoles could must from the start to 7 years of sales. If we make a proportion numbers games in those consoles discontinued production and years the Switch would destroy them. So all this bait-click talking doesn't do the Switch any service. I suspect once v3 comes out the production of v2 OLED will be limited to supplies on hand as they move to v3 to come into play. Why would they keep making v2 OLED when they got v3 OLED(LCD?) to replace it and make more money. Remember Nintendo isn't your friend or lover they are in the business of making Consoles everyone wants to buy and reap the benefits of the sales of v3 Switch. Not sure why people keep harping they will continue to make v2 OLED after v3 Switch comes out. That isn't how you continue to grow your Business especially in the Gaming consoles. If this is what people are talking then why aren't you still playing your PS2 and be happy with it as you shouldn't get a PS5 since what good would it do. Too many ranters and not enough brain thinkers here.

@Hwatt I'm not sure if its fair to just compare unit sales without that context. However, if we look at the same 13 cycle, (launch to end of life for PS2) Switch should beat PS2.
This is what my post is pointing out the obvious but they don't like such obvious reasons.

If Nintendo wanted to force their way past the PS2's record, I'm pretty sure they could, but they'd at least have to hold back on their next console for a lot longer than anyone expects them to at this point. Even without any new games, they could probably get there by just throwing out a bunch of price cuts, bundles, special editions, and marketing campaigns. Alternatively, bucking expectations and releasing a Switch 1.5 would pretty much guarantee it. The question is whether Nintendo even cares about increasing Switch's sales enough to drag out its lifespan any further, or if they'd rather try to carry their current momentum over to the next generation.

@shgamer PS5 is selling gangbusters right now because of the price drop, so who knows if Switch can keep up the pace.
Based on what? I been to my local game store and they have plenty of PS5 vs not having enough Switches.

@SwitchForce Amazon's lists of bestselling video games, accessories, consoles, eShop/PSstore vouchers etc. in US/UK/Germany/France/Italy/Spain. PS5 is high up on all these lists atm while the Switch is not so high up (and I've following these lists daily since TotK released because I want new hardware - lol).

There's also the problem with people craving discounts to keep it selling, that there's high inflation, the Joy Cons are complex and expensive to manufacture, the screens IDK, but they probably don't go down in price as much as chips or ram, plus the fact that Nintendo wants to turn a profit on their hardware (and the Lite model is already exceptional inexpensive imo - best value handheld I've ever had).

never gonna be a better time for a price drop of the main system, and a final hardware revision.

final revisions are usually "lite" or "jr." versions of the original, and we already have a switch lite, so i once again propose a roku stick like device, packed with a pro controller, for 150. ✊ day 1.

The reason the PS2 sold so many units was because Sony kept it on the market for 12 years. The Switch has outpaced the ps2 for most of its lifespan….it took the ps2 9 years to sell 139M - Nintendo is on pace to do this in 7. If Nintendo keeps the system active until at least end of 2025 - I don’t see why it wouldn’t pass PS2. The holidays are sure to give them a boost - maybe 8M that quarter. Which would put it around 140M by end of year. Next year they will be around 150M and 2025 - looking at 155M.

Possible, sure, as the Switch eventually becomes a starter console. And it'll be amazing because the PS2 has that lightning in a bottle boost for being the most affordable dvd player of its time. The leap from VHS to DVD was huge and everyone wanted a player. The PS2 was amazing and one of the best consoles but we can't pretend it didn't have a Wii-like boost of nongamers buying.

with Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Bros Wonder and the Super Mario RPG remake, Switch can easily become the best selling hardware of alltime, is not a possibility of if, but when Switch is gonna surpass DS/PS2 and become the best selling hardware of alltime.

I think with a couple of more unique branded switches that people will want to collect, mixed with the thousands of kids who are growing up into “video game age” every year, plus people replacing broken switches, Nintendo could get there.

We don't know when Switch 2 will be released...but I don't think Switch will reach this record before it. But, I think it will still sell well, and surpass other consoles.
PS2 sold a lot of unities after PS3 release (more than PS3 itself for years ).

i am assuming the switch 2 will come out third quarter next year so no it will not catch the ps2 ..before it arrives..it won't be even close..

the headline was can the switch catch the ps2 before the switch 2 arrives and not a chance of that happening..

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the PS2 reached that number partly because it continued to sell after the PS3 came out. There’s always some degree of continued sales. I think the Switch could definitely reach the PS2 number eventually, it really depends on how aggressive Nintendo is about pushing people to the new platform. If they continue manufacturing Switches for several more years, I don’t see why it would be impossible to get another 25 million units. Remember these systems are popular with kids and families, so every year a new batch of kids age into the game playing demographics and their parents seem very likely to opt for the older more established (and cheaper) platform rather than the costly latest thing. Say it was Christmas 2024 - what would you buy a five year old that wants their own system like their friend has? I would get a Switch light or something, not whatever the brand new thing is.

Depends on how the end of this year goes, if there are any more limited edition consoles and if they go in with a deep discount before they officially announce a successor to lure the last of the fence sitters. I would say it is going to be very close by the time the successor is out but it will overtake before they cease production.

It is certainly, into the realm of possibilities. Having said that, for that to happen not only do Nintendo have to have a plan that includes disccounts, bundles etc. They have to have the inventory to build those machines, we are talking some very, very old componets (by todays technological standards) sure, Nvidia and Sharp can produces screens and chips but no way it is going to be cheaper than once was. So, i would love to, but seems very unlikely.

I mean it's possible, it would be neat if it did.

With that said, the system is already successful and at this point, I just want them to continue putting out great games (which is what they are doing).

Actually, I don't care.

The only game that could raise numbers this high is a new Zelda, but this card is gone since Tears of the Kingdom just released.

It might eventually get there after Switch 2 is out, though. Especially if Switch 2 is not compatible with Switch games, since a lot of players will stick to the Switch a few more years to play their backlog.

@jamesthemagi I guess I was off by a year. But the point is, they would have to hold steady at 15 million units sold per year for two more years (for a total of 30 million units) in order to beat the PS2, which will become increasingly unlikely when the Switch's successor launches.

After all, if you look at sales for the 3DS after the Switch launched, they dropped off a cliff in 2018, minus a brief bump in the fourth quarter of that year, whereas the Switch gained traction in that same time period.

So, as I said, unless Nintendo enacts aggressive price drops and puts out new bundles (plus other goodies) to incentivize people to keep buying the Switch, even after its successor launches, they may not be able to catch up to the PS2 in terms of lifetime sales.

I think they can do it with discount bundles and a few more Pokemon and Mario games.

There are multiple Switches per households unlike other consoles which helps Nintendo sales.

Nintendo is honestly not concerned with this. They'll cut support long before they hit PS2 numbers. If the next model is due next year, expect the switch to cease production immediately and sales to clear the old switch out of stock will go into full swing to make space for Switch 2. With no games coming to switch, it won't keep its momentum. We'll see some breif spikes and Nintendo Life will even be like "look see, still life in the old girl yet. She out sold the PS5 and Switch 2 for these 2 months" it'll all just be inventory dump and packin games and special offers.

When Nintendo is done with a platform, they are simply done with it. They haven't been able, nor care to continue the life of the previous hardware since NES and SNES with their mini models. N64 just vaporized into nothing. GameCube really didn't see any support after Twilight Princess, which I think gamecube gamers to this day are still greatful they got that title at the very least. Wii support died 2 years prior to the wii u, resulting in localizing of titles that hadn't released in some regions to help fill the gap. Wii U obviously just got burried. 3DS support while it was there for the first year or so, quickly dried up when it was clear people wanted the latest handheld, not a 2nd pillar handheld with 2 screens.

I think we'll see the switch fizzle out just shy of PS2.

@Total_Weirdo "There are multiple Switches per households unlike other consoles which helps Nintendo sales."

I think its more true to say it tends to sell more units per house hold than most consoles. It's not really a true statement to say house holds don't have have more than one PlayStation. I have 3 PS4's for example. The PS4 Pro I purchased to replace my PS4 is one such case. I ended up getting another base model for remote play to my PS5 on the cheap. While anecdotal it is a common trend I've seen. Even some house holds having a second PS4 for their children, TV's aren't exactly expensive these days.

If the Nintendo Switch stays out for 13 years just like the Ps2 did it would pass the Ps2 record.

It would be a nice record to hold but I doubt Nintendo cares. They sold the Switch at a profit day 1 and the software sales are insane. What would be an interesting stat is the relative profit to date at each sales volume.

I'm just glad Nintendo is doing so well. It's wonderful l.

I'm back on it!!! Switch Pro is coming!!!!! Enjoy second place PS2!!!!!!!!

I’d like to see it happen, but short of another unexpected game that gives the current hardware a massive shot in the arm (like Pokémon did for the original GB and Animal Crossing did for the Switch) I can’t see it happening sadly.

Also, if it did happen, I’d expect a lot of people saying it doesn’t count because the Switch is a “handheld”. I wouldn’t agree with that, but I’m sure it would happen.

If Furukawa wants it, Switch can.

Anyway, I think that will. With Switch 2 launching in 2025, first Switch can reach 160M in 2026.

Switch is good but not PS2 good.

Guess we'll see if this is just ANOTHER rumor, it most likely is. Doesn't make sense for Nintendough to say Switch is halfway through its lifespan LAST Year only to turn around and release a new console.

Why is this even up for debate. Unless there is something stopping Nintendo from using conventional life cycle extention strategies like price cuts (and between me and you, the fact it still hasn't had one, I'm starting to think inflation has prohibited one) then it's going to overtake PS2 in the next couple of years. So before their next console? Who knows. One thing I will say is the market for Switch isn't as dynamic as folk think. It was underpowered when it released. It's proven to be very resilient to changes in technology.

So yeah, it's on track to become number one. But for crying out loud, have some patience with it. It's not going to be a case of "phew, it made it. Now everyone can move on to Switch 2" lol.

Nintendo Switch will surely overtake PS2 because it continues to sell well. Neither PlayStation nor Xbox threatened Nintendo Switch sales because Nintendo Switch is still more popular than both PlayStation and Xbox.

Before Switch 2 arrives? Maybe not, but it could still very well catch the PS2 post Switch 2, especially with an official price cut.

@ChiefKaOz

If the Nintendo 3DS could be on the market for 9 years, so can the Nintendo Switch

@BaldBelper78

Even at full price, the Nintendo Switch is outselling the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. Nintendo knows that their consoles sell well at full price, so they have no need to lower the price of a console as long as it sells well.

All Nintendo need to do with the Switch is stay 13 years on the market just like Ps2.

Switch might dethrone PS2 but for me, PS2 is the best machine to play Konami Rhythm games from DDR, Beatmania IIDX, Para Para Paradise, DrumMania, Keyboardmania, Pop'n Music and Kickboxing games K-1.
Nintendo Switch still doesn't have kind of games like that.

@Kehkou …except, if you’re comparing it to the other consoles, it’s going to be underpowered. The last Nintendo system to really try to go for power was released over 20 years ago.

And the DS, 3DS, Wii, and Switch won their battles that way.

Switch, in general has had some amazing ports…And really their third party output was weakest on the systems where Nintendo tried playing the power game since the late 99s.

@mattesdude Right, we'll never get the most powerful in a particular console era again, but the more they wait, the more of today's tech becomes the "withered tech" that will end up in the next Nintendo.

Who in their right mind imagined 7 years ago we'd be discussing which olympic medal for all time console sales the successor to the Wii U would get?

Massive cause for celebration regardless for Nintendo fans 🎉🎉🎉

With Mario Wonder launching in November, the earliest we would see a successor to the Switch would be March 2025.

I’d be amazed if Nintendo don’t have a 3rd hardware revision lined up for Christmas. Surely an OLED lite model is on the cards?

It’s possible, but I wouldnt count on it.

Nintendo typically does not let two consoles exist at the same time.
When they do, they don't last for long and never get first party games.

@kupocake almost everything about the gameboy and GBC are the same except the screen.... they're definitely not clearly distinct as 2 different consoles. That would be like saying the GBA and GBA SP are clearly distinct.

@Reptilio You’re on point. $60 for a 2D sidescrolling platformer might’ve moved units in 1993 but 30 years later in 2023 not so much. The game will probably sell well but it’s unlikely to get people to buy a Switch imo.

It depends on when they will replace it. If the Switch gets a half gen next year and stick to a hybrid generation for 4 extra years, it will blow the PS2 and DS out of the water.

To be honest, there is barely a difference between a new gen and a half gen. Look at the PS5. Most games are also released on PS4, making it a sort of PS4 Pro-Pro with more expensive games.

Don't see it happening, but if they did some specials, discounts, bundles, AND revive a couple more forgotten franchises they could have a slim chance. Mario RPG is a great example of a series that is being revived that could bring a nice bump in console sales. Kid Icarus, or a Earth Bound remake would be heavy hitters, maybe a Donkey Kong, Star Fox, or F-Zero too.

@JeanPaul The problem with backwards compatibility is that, as Scott The Woz said, "everyone wants it but no one uses it".

I certainly won't be playing Switch Games on the Switch 2 and in fact, I still have a DS: Lite despite having a N3DS:XL.

I wonder how many of Switch sales are because people pick up a second system (lite, OLED) or replace their original console. Honestly the Switch could just be like the iPhone with a new incremental model jump every 2-3 years and be Nintendo's permanent console going forward. Would make counting units a pain

If rumours are true not before it arrives but theres nothing saying it won't ever because the Switch will get a huge price cut.

İt is hard to beat the PlayStation 2 but 26 Million to beat it. İt is possible İ think.

Total Switch sales before it finally loses all momentum in 2026: 164 million

It would be great for an actual gaming console and not a DVD player to be the best-sold system.

Honestly, if they'd re-release 1 million DS consoles at an all-time low price point, it probably had more chance to beat PS2 sales numbers.
(Of course, that will never happen. Although making a unique version with some built-in games would be insanely fun.)

Would the Switch deserve the top spot?
I think it's such a genius 2-in-1 console that it would.
Will it have that?
I don't think so.

Strange comparison- wasn’t the ps2 on the market for like 13 years? Switch reached almost the same in less than half the time, meaning it’s a better and faster selling console already.

It will need a decent discount to beat ps2 imo and we all know what Nintendo is like with discounts. Feel like they’d rather not increase sales if it means they don’t have to discount!

Just don't release the Switch successor too soon. If they waited like 3 more years for 10 year lifespan I'm sure the Switch could break the record.

Of course this would require 1 or 2 serious heavy hitter exclusives... and I'm not sure if they have anything else but MP 4 and Mario Wonder coming. Then again, TotK might keep on selling well far in the future.

@Axecon
You could argue the same for ps2 since it also had a lite version.

I think it’s going to be close, I think it will do it though, just.

I'm not too sure about this year, but I think the Switch may just continue to sell after "Switch 2" releases. Currently we don't know what that console is going to be like, it may just be a Switch Pro type deal where we see support for the OG Switch continue for a few years. Who can say at this stage?

@JeanPaul Without it, it's going to be a trainwreck, and the fact that they are seemingly being led by developers requests is insane.

It's a possibility, but sales figures are slowing down, however, they do still have another 18 months.

@Reptilio @DiamondJim You might be surprised. A new 2D Mario carries more weight in selling hardware than you might think.

Look at how many people bought a Wii for NSMBWii, and that was 3 years after the Wii released and already sold really well. It was the 4th best selling game on Wii and pushed a lot of hardware sales, even though much of the Wii hype had slowed by the time NSMBW came out.

A few tidbits. Sony kept the PS2 on the market for 12 years. Sony is like a child who thinks they gotta be no1 all the time. The DS took 8 years to reach 154, but Sony wouldn't stop production on the PS2 until it passed the DS.

It's something people forget. The Switch will pass the PS2 eventually, and when that happens, oh boy will the radical fans lose their minds and the media will downplay it at every turn.

I think when it's all said and done, the Switch will pass 165-170 million in sales making it the most successful system ever. Something I predicted almost 7 years ago when I saw the reveal trailer.

@JeanPaul The Wiiu was BC and was one of the biggest Nintendo flop.

@WaffleBoat yeah, I feel like the PS2 record requires an asterisk.

@Corvus96 This isn't correct? Color has more ram and double the clock speed.

I never understood this discourse on whether the Switch can outsell PS2. Sure, it would be awesome if it did, but the Switch is already the most profitable game system in history and has (more importantly) fostered an environment where most Nintendo IPs have seen incredible record-breaking growth. That is far more important than simply being the best-selling console, which ultimately a meaningless trophy. Like, Nintendo could have cut the price of the NDS back in 2011/2012 to give it enough of a boost to outsell PS2, but they were way more focused on making sure the 3DS could succeed especially after its early struggles.

What is very important for Nintendo right now is that they ensure Switch maintains a high active playerbase and that those Switch players transition to Switch 2 once it releases. Nintendo is doing a great job at maintaining a large active Switch playerbase with big releases like Zelda, Pikmin, and Mario - now they just need to make sure the transition to Switch 2 is as smooth as possible.

@kupocake It does have more memory, but the speed is the same. Both are 8-bit processors too. Color is just an improved gameboy with a few games you can't play on the original or pocket.

@NandosFood I know plenty of people that use backwards compatible consoles for older games, including me. I still regularly play my old gameboy games, but only on my SP. Same with DS, they only get played on my 3DS, 360 games on my xboxone, PS games only on PS2, etc. I would absolutely play switch games on the next console.

@Corvus96 clock speed is only the same for black cartridges, i.e. the ones that can be played in a regular Gameboy. It clocks up for games like the Zelda Seasons titles, hence the different cartridge shape.

I bought DS XL bundle with Pokemon Black, for just €100 at a major retail shop just few months after 3DS was out. I hope we see major discounts on Switch

The chances of the Switch not getting the record are pretty slim. Looking at sales momentum, I'd wager it'll be somewhere between late 2024 and mid 2025.

Probably after the next console drop, but I see it easily hitting 140 mil before the switch 2 is announced. Theres no way it won't sell another 10 mil before it's retired.

I don't know if it will happen, but I personally hope it does.

More so just to see the Nintendo Switch get even more of the recognition it deserves! LOL.

But for me I've got quite a few games I kinda abandoned that I want to get back to . . . so I've got at least another year of gaming even if I don't pick up another game.

But Metroid Dread is calling my name! LOL!

I know I'm going to repeat this on another article as the Switch 2 nears announcement, but here: if the Switch 2 can reach parity with PS4 graphically and it's backwards compatible, that's it. Nothing will illustrate the diminishing returns of graphical fidelity better. And this generation is BORING besides the Switch, imo. I hope Nintendo sees this. The door is wide open.

Without backward compatibility i will never buy new nintendo console after switch

I don't think it will, and I don't think it has to be number one. It has done great as a dedicated gaming device. The PS2 had the benefit of DVD utility in the early 2000s and the NDS was very novel but also much cheaper. The Switch is 3rd best selling gaming system ever, and it has been around for much less time than number 1 and 2.