Fresh Figures Suggest Nintendo DS Is The Most Popular Console Of All Time
Posted by Damien McFerran
Overtakes the PS2 in global sales
According to VGChartz, the Nintendo DS is now officially the most popular games console of all time.
Updated sales state that Nintendo's dual-screen handheld has shifted an amazing 153.69 million units worldwide, while the PS2 has sold 153.68 million.
The DS - which hit the market in 2004 - has sold 56.47 million units in North America, 51.78 in Europe, 33.01 million in Japan and 12.43 in the rest of the world.
Thanks to Nintendo Life member chiefeagle02 for the heads up.
[via vgchartz.com]
#1
MadAussieBloke said:
I must be the only person in the world that doesn't own a DS
#2
nikatapi said:
vgchartz is not the most accurate source, but i'm sure that DS is up there with the PS2
#3
bouncer0304 said:
Well done guys a big achievement and just goes to show the quality of the ds library (i know it had shovelware but a lot of the games are cracking).
This was my first console and i still have it. I use my 3ds now but i won't get rid of it. The best christmas present i ever had
#4
Haxonberik said:
A big milestone for the dying system. I wasnt counting with this. Maybe Pokemon pushed it forward enough.
#5
Banker-Style said:
The Nintendo DS = the greatest handheld ever.
Can't wait to play my last DS game,Pokemon Black 2, on Christmas day.
#6
chiptoon said:
I find that 'rest of the world' figure so sad, since that's where I'm from.
Its no wonder publishers don't really take us seriously.
#7
Aqueous said:
Mine shall be used forever.It is my favourite alarm clock.
#8
Randomname19 said:
I didn't saw this coming but now that I think of it it's not that surprising.
This is the console that paved the way to motion control andtouch screens in gaming and the precursor of the Wii U gamepad(and tablets too).It's even the console that got me into Nintendo and Sonic
#9
Kirk said:
Well this has been coming for a long time.
#10
3Dash said:
Good job Ninty!
#11
Shworange said:
That's very cool! Now that the Wii U has been out for a whole month in the US, I'm very eager to see how many units were sold nation wide for the month.
#12
Dev said:
This is a great achievement and a deserved one for the DS, because it ultimately led to the touch-screen market of not just Nintendo but Apple and other products as well and greately influenced people and the world as a result. The DS' huge library has plenty of classics even with a lot of shovelware, but it comes to show how a bunch of good games pay off.
#13
Mk_II said:
and it is still selling shiploads so those numbers will only go up.
#14
Knuckles said:
Go Nintendo!
#15
nocode said:
Best handheld ever. I've always felt the DS was the spiritual successor to the SNES.
#16
Chriiis said:
That is crazy, haha, although I've been patiently waiting to see it happen for a while now.
#17
True_Hero said:
This makes me want to go out and buy a new DS Lite. Hooray for the DS!
#18
Ideal_Hero said:
I really enjoyed my DS. I played it until it nearly fell apart. Good thing the 3DS came out when it did.
#19
Koto said:
DS was used more for gaming or gaming-like apps, but the PS2 tended to be used more for DVD playback. So in the end, the DS sales will always be more impressive.
#20
Molotov said:
Congrats. And That Means Alot Coming From Me, Considering I Don't Find Much To Congratulate Nintendo About These Days.
#21
WiiLovePeace said:
Congrats Nintendo DS
You have quite a lot of really amazing games in your library & are quite the amazing console. Thanks for all the good memories & here's hoping many more to come 
(by playing old games I missed 
)
#22
dragon_rider said:
I still have a DS lite in my room, I just need a new battery.
#23
Kohaku said:
All thanks to the RS4 cards. People only needed to buy the DS and the games were for free.
I hope there will never be a crack for the 3DS.
#24
misswliu81 said:
this is awesome news! also, the DS overtaking the gameboy is also remarkable. that system had so many great games, i never thought it would be beaten in terms of sales, if you asked me 3 or 4 years ago if this would happen.
but it is an incredible achievement.
#25
Gameday said:
looking quite fresh so no wonder ;p
#26
Boo_Buster said:
I was kind of sad when I traded in my Red and Black DS Lite for my 3DS (making it $100 at the time), just because I wanted to keep the DS. I'll probably pick one up on the cheap eventually, just to have one.
#27
Hamtaro said:
Well...I used to play DS....
#28
Freak-Show said:
Back in the good old days of Diamond & Pearl. Those are the only games I can think of that could have made the DS popular. Not many 3rd-party developed titles are huge on any Nintendo platform.
#29
Hokori said:
@Freak_Show Dragon Quest and Layton are
#30
triforcepower73 said:
You did it little guy!!! I always knew you could!
#31
themariobloggie said:
still going strong 2012 and beyond
#32
RR529 said:
It's well deserving of the honor. The DS has loads of great games!
#33
TobieOBrown said:
VG Chartz stopped tracking PS2 sales a few years ago so it's not really a surprise the DS has finally passed it on the list.
#34
SirSmugleaf said:
That is quite a feat for Nintendo. Congratulations!
#35
Emaan said:
DS is unstoppable! Way to go Nintendo.
#36
grimbldoo said:
@chiptoon #6
Did you see how small the number for the "rest of the world" was in comparison to the big sellers? I
#37
Araknie said:
@MadAussieBloke I don't too, because my DSLite is broken. asd
#38
Rockman said:
I'm not surprised as some of the greatest Nintendo games were released on to the little bugger!
#39
Le_Wario26 said:
@Molotov Hey. Would You Stop Captitalizing Every Word Like This, Because It Is Really Annoying?
#40
JuanitoShet said:
If any console could do it, it's the Nintendo DS.
So happy for it! Even if the PlayStation 2 was my main console for many years.