After a rocky start in 2011, the 3DS family of systems - which includes the 2DS and New Nintendo 3DS - has evolved into a success. Against increasingly challenging odds due to the rise of smart devices and plenty of other distractions, it's led the charge for the dedicated gaming handheld space around the world.
Earlier this year it was confirmed that the portable family had passed 50 million sales worldwide, but there's now another impressive landmark in its US sales - it's now passed 15 million units in the country; it's the eighth Nintendo system to hit the landmark.
The following games were also reaffirmed as releases that have passed two million sales in the US alone:
Some further statistics have been given for Nintendo sales in the US - nearly 270 million Nintendo systems have been sold in the country, which splits into roughly into 145 million portables and 125 million home consoles.
Lots of big numbers, but the key landmark is for the 3DS hardware, which has proven that there's still life in the dedicated handheld market.
Comments 39
still have my launch ambassador 3DS
I'm surprised to see Animal Crossing and Pokemon ORS not on the list of games that gave sold over two million domestically.
Good numbers for 3DS though. It's easily my favorite handheld console. While obviously well below DS sales, it's done very well in light of substantially increased competition.
How many in Japan and Europe?
The number isn't surprising since the 3DS, like the Wii U, hasn't become the popular-culture phenomenon that it's predecessor was. My parents, my grandmother, and a bunch of other friends and family I would never call gamers owned the DS. And I just don't think it's realistic to bring that audience through hardware iterations as it is on mobile, where there's less change overall. You mean I have to buy all new games? It's a different charger? To us it's not a big deal, but to them, well, I have a couple of spare DSs now.
Let's celebrate by releasing a bunch of faceplates and the New 3DS to go with them )))
@Vineleaf My grandma has a DS, too. She doesn't understand that the 3DS is a completely different system, with games that the DS can't play. Oh, well...
But where are the statistics on lost sales because NOA screwed some of us by not selling the version we wanted?
I've had nearly every single portable system from Nintendo, and I'm going to be honest, the 3DS has a very good chance of becoming my favorite handheld. I play it constantly, and probably even more than when I was a child playing my Game Boy Color. I'm not sure what that says about me... I was either too adult as a child, or I've become a child as I've gotten older.
Kudos to the 3DS, it didn't look good for a while, but it found some success. Granted, it still has a good chance of becoming the lowest selling portable, but still, it has come a long way since 2011.
@ericwithcheese2 me too, but only because 70% of my street passes are playing Pokemon and half of those are ORAS
It's crazy how much the system sales have dropped off worldwide in the last 2 years. In the first 2 years of it's life, the 3DS sold nearly 11 million units in the US, and the 2 years after that, it's sold just over 4 million. That's even more drastic than the Japanese decline where it's dropped to about selling half as well.
I love my 3DS. I play it more than my Xbox 360, PS4, and Wii U. Currently playing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky and I'm loving every minute of it! It's a great game!
@Peach64 Maybe it is time for more 3DS games!
The little portable with amazing 3D that could. Nice achievement.
It's a good system, it deserves to sell well. It could do with more games though, but then again I suppose that's what E3 is for, isn't it?
I have 4 3DS' so I guess I'm contributing. I still don't have a New 3DS XL though.
I played GB, GBA and DS a lot (same goes for PSP), but I have never been as satisfied as I am having 3DS. Most of both eShop and retail games are either good or awesome. It is good to be a Ninty fan, right now.
Awesome news! can't wait to see more 3DS games!
@outburst
In total, the 3DS has sold over 50 million units. This number was floating around from BEFORE the new3DS was released, so it wouldn't surprise me if it was a couple million higher by now.
@Sanicranfast
I meant how many in Japan and Europe compared to 15M in the US?
@outburst In Japan, the 3DS has sold over 18 million as of December 2014, of course 6 months have passed so it's probably closer to 20, if not higher by now.
The 3DS is Japan's best selling console bar none. The PS3 sold just under 10 million in Japan, for example.
UK numbers are estimated at 2 million sold.
@Peach64
The 3DS around 7.5 million units during its first 2 years and 6.5 million during the next 2 years. It has sold around 1 million units this year so far, totaling up to 15 million.
@Sanicranfest
3DS hit 2 million in the UK in late 2013. UK LTD sales are closer to 3 million.
@Pigeon
Its just for the U.S. though, so that seems about right.
Pretty awesome. Not my favorite handheld, but it has its merits. Since I missed out on PSP last gen, it wasn't until this gen that I got to experience 6th-gen graphics on a handheld. I remember being amazed by 3DS before launch and for a year and a half afterwards.
That was until I grew tired of all the many irritations of the OG 3DS and bought a Vita and a stronger Android phone and finally shook off the ignorance I had as a Nintendo fan.
3DS is still fun every now and then though and I now have a couple of PSPs to complement my couple of 3DSes.
Good thing I bought 4 or it would of only been 14,999,996 sold.
U R WELCOME!
The 3DS is the best hand held ever and I own them all. I say that and I never ever play with the 3D on, because I can't see it.
3DS is doomed!!! ah the memories
@MoonKnight7
I agree completely. I remember playing my Gameboy Color and Advance quite a bit but the 3ds has become my all time favorite portable.
i am on my 3rd 3DS, Got my first one on launch, got the N3DS at launch also.
We have a total of 4 in my house alone currently.
Favorite all gaming device.
@Savino
I think there's an inaccuracy there, since, ignoring the DS, it's selling below the GBA overall, which sold far more units in a shorter period of time. The GBA was replaced and on a noticeable decline by this point in it's life.
Compared to the DS, which hit 50 million in it's third year, the 3DS didn't reach that until year 5. Decent numbers overall, but still indicative of the overall decline in Nintendo's hardware sales. It's not just selling below the DS, but also the GBA.
@Mommar
I'm more interested in skewed numbers based on the absurd number of Nintendo fans who bought more than one or two editions of the console, thus throwing off the ultimate reach of the system.
We've got at least two people in here with four 3DS systems--just for themselves. One of my friends has 3 or 4 3DS systems. If every Nintendo fan was like this, their actual sales and reach would be closer to 1/3 of these numbers Nintendo brags about.
It's not really worth celebrating if you're just reselling the things to the same people over and over again.
@Quorthon Yeah, that's a good point. I personally owned two DS'es prior and would own two 3DS'es if NOA had released the standard sized version. The 3DS certainly does not have the wide-reach of the previous handheld. I used to see EVERYBODY around here with one when I went out to eat. Now, I've never seen another 3DS system in public. So likely you're right that their numbers are skewed and it's only a third of the numbers who are actually buying one. Likely an original 3DS, and XL and then whoever upgraded to at least a N3DSXL in the US, and possibly to both versions elsewhere.
@Quorthon
"I'm more interested in skewed numbers based on the absurd number of Nintendo fans who bought more than one or two editions of the console, thus throwing off the ultimate reach of the system."
Skewed? Sure, yeah you can say that, but it is impossible to find out such a figure. Nintendo isn't the only company that releases new versions of something though, so isn't everyone's figure skewed in some shape or form? If the PS4 releases a special edition, and someone already has one and buys said special edition, is that not skewing the numbers as well?
I understand the point, but just because someone has bought 4 versions of something does not mean that they kept all 4. I'm quite certain many traded them in for cash toward a new system. If that traded system is then bought by someone else who never owned one, the number is no longer skewed. That system has simply moved to another person.
Regardless, I can't believe that there is a large amount of people who have bought 4 iterations of the 3DS, and kept all 4. Don't forget that this site is called NintendoLife for a reason. Just saying.
@Quorthon
So you are more interested in something that cannot be quantified ? I know many Microsoft fans who bought more than 3 Xbox 360s and several Playstation fans who bought 2 or more PS3s - so by extrapolation of my experience , if all Microsoft and Playstation fans are like this , then their sales figures must be millions out.
"It's not really worth celebrating if you're just reselling the things to the same people over and over again " Why ? It's all profit ; whether one person buys three consoles or three people buy one - the end result is the same , money in the bank.
@Pigeon
I believe it was at some point, however, Japan has now become the powerhouse for the handheld market. If I recall, Japan is somewhere around 18 million. It's a very impressive figure, but the mobile market has certainly chipped away at everyone's market.
@Sanicranfast Media Create tells otherwise. If it's true was at 18 million end-2014 in Japan, and YtD sales for the 3DS gives us roughly 500k...
It'll hit by the end of the year, most likely.
@Quorthon The same could be said of other systems (points to the Xbox 360 and how many people bought 2-3+ of the thing due to RROD).
Wow! 15 million in the USA? whistle
what makes me really excited about this news is that 3D Land, MK 7, Smash Bros sold over 2 million but even more excited that pokemon x & y were on this list. Yea, X & Y were super easy, especially with experience share on, but the games were fun! Plus, we got pokemon that go into "bankai" forms with their megas. XD
@kingofthesofa That person is ALWAYS interested in things that can't be quantified.
@Quorthon Goodness, you again. It would be rational if you would consider the price, the lack of western third party support for the 3DS and slow localization process of eastern third party games when comparing to the previous Nintendo handheld consoles...
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