As of December 26th 2020, according to sales-tracking website VGChartz, the Nintendo Switch has finally outsold the 3DS, hitting an estimated 76,285,948 units sold. The 3DS, released in 2011, has so far sold 75,906,986 units.
The "List of best-selling game consoles" page of Wikipedia hasn't been updated at the time of writing, but the Switch's increased sales at the end of last year - no doubt due to Christmas purchases - would bump it up to being the 11th best-selling console of all time, behind the Game Boy, the Wii, and the Nintendo DS family. The Switch has a way to go until it reaches the top five, though - the cutoff is 102 million units sold.
However, with the Switch selling more than every other console combined last year, we could be seeing the rise of a worthy successor to the Wii's lifetime sales (101.63 million). It's also worth noting that the 3DS has been out for almost ten years, and the Switch managed to make the same number of sales in just under four years - and given the predictions that we might see a Switch Pro this year, that number can only go up.
If you've read all this and you're still hungry for more sales figures, then check out this visualisation of the last 20 years of Nintendo console sales, or read about how Animal Crossing: New Horizons helped the UK video game industry pass £4 billion for the first time. If that's still not enough, you might be beyond our help.
Do you think the Nintendo Switch will enter the hallowed halls of all-time best-selling consoles? How long do you reckon it'll take to reach the coveted 100 million sales? Give us your thoughts in the comments below.
[source vgchartz.com]
Comments 99
I'm soo glad Nintendo are doing well
This is actually insane, and goes to show how well a console can perform if the concept is solid and the lineup of first party games is strong. No matter how much people may make fun of the games output on Switch, it has absolutely the most diverse range of exclusives and sheer numbers of exclusives in general.
It's not really hard to believe that this console will beat the Wii anymore, I will actually be surprised if it doesn't given the games we know are coming. It's really nice to see Nintendo go complete reverse since the Wii U days. If 2021 has a strong lineup of games (since we know of so many games with no release date) then Switch should perform even better than last year despite the Animal Crossing craze.
Whelp, Nintendo is probably going to be sticking with hybrids then. They know where the money is at.
I still prefer the 3DS to the Switch. The build quality is superb, the gimmick totally worked in its favour with series like Etrian Odyssey that couldn’t have been on Switch and the third party devs gave us brilliant games specifically designed for the 3DS instead of gimped ports. The library is so massive that I’ll still be working my way through it for years to come.
@Kalmaro I'm fine with hybrids as you also get a sweet portable.
We don't need a third Series X/PS5 clone.
Hard to believe we are a few days away from the anniversary of the Nintendo Switch Presentation (Jan 12 or 13, 2017) and the Switch has already eclipsed its "fall-back plan" system, the 3DS.
I randomly watched that presentation again and especially compared to the PS5 presentation from last June, boy, there was not much to latch onto, just Splatoon 2, Mario Odyssey & Zelda, and then a whole lot of just... dead air, for lack of a better term. But man, it feels good to see those figures!
Here's to keeping the momentum going!
Mother of God
Holy cow! Yeah, they have another 100 mil console on their hands. The thing hasn't even had a price cut yet has it? Incredible.
Isn't it 4 years?
Ten months of 17, 18, 19 & 20.
I can see it hitting 100 million units. People will still find a reason to downplay that success, but it will likely get there.
Before anyone says "You can't believe what VGCHartz says!", the numbers will be close when its all said and done next time Nintendo releases numbers. With the kind of bonkers fourth quarter they've had, combined with Nintendo's last offically released numbers, this estimate is well within the realm of possibility.
And what's more impressive is the fact that the Switch has a small handful of revisions and limited editions, but I venture a ton of 3DS sales came from repeat buyers of the original model and two major redesigns, plus like 20 special editions, and 2DSes, etc.
I loved the 3DS. But these numbers for Switch are just amazing. And it isn't done yet.
If those numbers are true, Nintendo has only sold 8 mio units in the 4th quarter of 2020 - compared to 10.8 mio in 2019 and 9.4 mio in 2018 within the same timeframe...
@Ventilator So was the wii u just a Xbox One/ps4 clone? Hybird isn't the only way a console can make itself different from the competitors.
@nessisonett I think what you said about the third party games will be part of the past in 2021, with games such as Bravely Default 2, Monster Hunter Rise, Monster Hunter Stories 2 and Shin Megami Tensei V, all sequels to exclusive 3DS games. Add to them other games such as No More Heroes 3 or Bayonetta 3, and also ports from other games like usual. The third party library the Switch will have will probably be way better than the 3DS one, but we'll have to wait and see.
Hopefully they take a look at this success and commit to making the Switch the next gameboy or DS and vastly improve upon the design instead of trying to pull another Wii.
I have faith that the Switch will even become the best selling system if Nintendo keeps it supported for long enough and they actually do release that Pro. It won't be quite as impressive as with the Playstation 2 which I think only had 1 system but it'll still be impressive if it happens. But it's all up to Nintendo to make sure that momentum keeps going.
Way to go! The next one will be the Wii and then the DS.
I just hope that Nintendo's bad a bit of shooting in their foot doesn't become true this time.
@Kalmaro and why not? Xbox and PS are dumbed down PCs that connect to the TV. Switch is the only true game console out there and is doing a hell of a job. It only needs much more killer apps.
Gimped ports, come on fella you are better than that.
I love the 3DS too as it was an awesome little machine with loads of great games, but for some reason it never reached the heights of Nintendo's previous handheld, this was a shame as it seemed to be perfectly positioned to do so.
The Switch is an awesome console in it's own right, and it borrows from Nintendo's awesome handheld heritage, with the added bonus of being a more traditional home connected to T.V console as well, yes there are ports, but you have to blame the poor sales of the Wii U for that, as these games deserved a much wider audience than was possible with Nintendo's last home console.
The Switch has pretty much most bases covered in terms of Nintendo's first party output, and with the exception of this year has had a decent output on most previous ones. Add this to it being an awesome home for great indie titles and you have a great overall package.
I can see the Switch hitting the top 3 effortlessly. Maaaaaayyyybe top sold of all time, BUT only after there's a massive price cut to the Lite version so that the uninitiated can have an entry point, and a Pro model for the die-hards to buy a 2nd more expensive Switch.
@JeffreyEngineer,
That's because we look at things from a core gamers point of view, who just look at it in terms of games revealed, then to release a console with very few of those promised titles.
To the wider mass market they simply see a cool piece of tech with a lot of potential, and something they would want to own.
@Yosher they released a PS2 slim but the hardware wasn't any more powerful.
I'm so happy, thanks Nintendo for paying my bills!!
Less than four years. Less than four years, Carl.
why do i imagine more people have multiple switches than 3ds... what's the plural of 3ds? 3dses?
@ancientlii I had a 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, new 3DS, new 3DS XL and new 2DS XL. (I still have my 2DS, new 2DS XL and new 3DS XL)
I only have a Switch and Switch lite. And I will be buying a Switch pro if it launches and isn't TV only.
@ancientlii,
With all it's revisions I bet many people owned multiple 3DS consoles.
at this rate? 100 million by 2022
@sanderev
and what did you do with so many 3DS ?
Does 3DS include all of 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and New 2DS, or just the 3DS models?
Article never mentions "family" so I thought I'd ask.
It's still a win, especially when price is taken into account, those original 2DS were going for $99, then even as low as $79 near the end.
It will beat the Wii, whether it beats DS may depend on how long until it's successor launches and if Switch gets some more new games, release date schedule is looking a little barren at the moment.
But 100+ mil is nice, wherever it stops, at $300 and $200 a pop.
@megakasp Exactly. I think they have already reached 80 millions (11,7 M between october and december), there's no way this number from that source can be correct. Otherwise it would be a huge disappointment.
So, with a 28 millions year, they just need to be 25% down in 2021 to reach the Wii by the end of the year.
@rjejr I had the same question, thanks for asking it! I agree it will beat the Wii.
EXCELLENT News!!! Keep going! Let’s outsell the Nintendo Wii and DS!!!
The Switch is a monster. Even without a Pro, it will surpass the Wii in early 2022.
It confuses me how people follow this news site when they only have bad things to say about Nintendo and the article writers
Amazing. Well done, Nintendo. Switch is genius, and it's paid off. 👏☺️
@FroZtedFlakerZz
"how people follow this news site when they only have bad things to say about Nintendo and the article writers."
They were jealous.
They were expecting Nintendoomed so they can glorify other consoles as the King of video games.
@ancientlii
I have four 3DS XL machines in 3 different regions (2 USA machines, 1 Japanese machine, 1 PAL machine) so i can play every 3DS games on every regions. 😁
@Anti-Matter,
You are such a 3DS hoarder .
@Burning_Spear,
Which begs the question, why release a pro version in the first place?, a slight revision sure, but massive upgrade in power terms, just can't see it myself.
@johnvboy
The last 3DS XL machine i bought was PAL region because i have the PAL only games that have physical release but digital only for USA version.
They were Dillon's Dead Heat Breakers & Hello Kitty & Friends: Rockin' World Tour.
Also, i picked Girl's Fashion Photoshoot PAL version from Ebay since the USA version in physical was nowhere to be founded, it was very expensive on playasia. 😣
Last official numbers were 68 million, I doubt they only sold 8 million this holiday season,
Up next, 100m sold before the beginning of the Switch's sixth year early March 2022.
@johnvboy
Maybe they need it to make Bayo 3 and MP4 run well
@johnvboy i also a 3DS hoader, i have the 3DS phat, the 3DS XL and the New 3DS XL and 19 games.
3DS is my favorite Nintendo Handheld, i started my Nintendo Handheld journey with the Game Boy Color that my late maternal Grand father gave me in a Chirstmas, 3DS have so many awesome games, it sadly with the lauch of Nintendo Switch,Nintendo Handheld console is no more(unless Nintendo suprise us again), but Switch is my favorite Nintendo console after the Nintendo Game Cube, i can see at end of lifecycle of Switch in 2023/2024 Switch having a sale total of 110/120 milions units sold.
@johnvboy I'm with you. I'm fine with my Switch as is, though I think a more powerful model will be needed at some point to allow for porting of newer games from the other consoles.
The Switch is unstoppable, I now actually think that it can beat the Wii, PS1, PS4, and the Game Boy.
Now the PS2 and DS, that's a hard question to answer.
If:
1. Release Pro/Revision by November (I'm really hoping for Power over Resolution)
2. Can keep production going strong
3. Release Mainline Pokemon Game (Prob Gen 4th)
4. Release Breath of Wild 2 for Anniversary
5. Release at least Metroid Trilogy, preferably Prime 4
6. Online N64 or GB games or return of VC
7. Release Bayonetta 3
8. Release Shin Megami Tensei V
9. Release a Kingdom Hearts Collection (Prob Impossible to do 3)
10. Probably Impossible to do Persona 5
11. The hopefully not disappointing Bravely Default 2
12. Balans Wonderland seems... interesting
13. Disgaea 6 madness.
Then I think March 30th 2022 Switch will hit 100 million units sold
Looking at the list on Wikipedia, it's pretty amazing that the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii all came out between 2005 and 2006 and yet all managed to sell over 84 million units.
@jamesthemagi no MK9?
@rockodoodle
I'm not against it
But I think it would be saved for a Switch 2 or a successor
This is why Nintendo will never go away ...They are just the best
The momentum the Switch is selling at is incredibly impressive. I expect by the time it's life has died out it will have outsold all other Nintendo systems except maybe the original DS (Which is only like a million units shy of the number one selling gaming system of all time in the PS2).
VGCharts is not a reliable source..🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
@Burning_Spear,
I guess, although these modern gaming engines are very easy to scale down, guess it's a question of how much of a graphical hit you are willing to take.
@Giancarlothomaz,
I remember getting the normal sizes 3DS and the are glow in the dark Boo face plates.
@Anti-Matter,
Sounds like quite a collection you have there.
@Ninchiku,
Guess we need some more information as a power boost would be nice.
Vgchartz is not reliable.
@Ventilator Heaven forbid we ever see Nintendo at the cutting edge again Lol. Who wants Mario or Zelda with SX or PS5 level visuals 🤷♂️
When Microsoft strike a deal with Nintendo we'll see Switch games running in full 4K60 so that will do.
@nessisonett The 3DS design is perfect. The game library is amazing. I have a backlog a year or two long. Currently playing Kirby Triple Deluxe. The Switch has some amazing games but a Super 3DS that plays Switch and 3DS games would be amazing. I can but dream.
@jamesthemagi I can definitely see Switch Pro using DLSS, makes sense 1080p or 1440p looks fantastic scaled to 4K using it, also I wonder if it will also move to Tegra X2.. Who knows!
@johnvboy It's not out of the question - 3DS XL was actually a substantial upgrade, moving from a Dual core 200mhz, 128MB RAM, 6MB VRAM to a Quad core 800mhz, 256MB, 12MB vram set up and that's not including boosts to other areas.
While 3DS XL wasn't exactly used to its full potential we did see up to 2x and sometimes more performance in regards to games with unlocked framerates.
@liveswired Possibly, but putting Tensor cores, which are required for DLSS, in a Switch "Pro" sounds quite expensive. We'll have to wait and see.
@megakasp Quarter hasn't technically finished yet if I'm not mistaken.
@jamesthemagi VC will not return. The games on Nintendo Switch online are designed to be small in size to run on the Switch and also has added features like rewind and anytime save. With only 32GB of storage, N64 games are likely not possible seeing as they will take even more capacity being upscaled and with added features.
@johnvboy Switch is limited more by cartridge size than by graphical prowess. The Switch should actually be as powerful as a base PS4/XBO if not more due to it being newer architecture.
@liveswired It will not change architecture due to backwards compatibility reasons. It will likely use the Tegra X1+ that came out in 2019.
Also why the X2, it isn't even that much better when there is Xavier and Orin?
@nessisonett I miss my 3DS but haven't revised it in ages. Mostly because I lost it then found it again and also because I've changed username since.
@nessisonett I adore my 3DS too and am still a huge fan of of the 3D effect. I still buy games for it despite the huge backlog I have. The Switch has a better selection of games though in my opinion. The range is incredible. I'm still hoping for a Nintendo 3DSwitch to be announced.
@liveswired The thing with Nintendo is that they focus on other things instead of pushing gfx. Just look at Zelda BOTW. Less gfx, but bigger world and lots of physics. Mart Kart 8 have great gfx, but not too much so they could keep 60 fps instead of 30.
Zelda 2012, E3 Demo for Wii U had the kind of gfx that you are thinking of.
I wish they released at least one HD Zelda with that 2012 gfx, but that won't happen with BOTW 2 due to the scale of that game.
It takes only 4 years of Switch to do what 3DS too many years to do. Tells alot of Switch acceptance and a innovation in gaming for portable and Docked gaming.
@liveswired
Tegra X2 is a self-driving car SoC. The only difference between it and the Mariko SoC found in the current Switch and Switch Lite is better memory bandwidth.
@HammerKirby Wii U is a upgraded Xbox 360/PS3 gen.
What can Nintendo do different when Kinect, Wiimote and Balanceboard were the only successful add-ons ever, but noone asks for these things anymore.
Forced "gimmick controls" never worked out well overall, and is why Switch doesn't have forced motion controls.
People didn't want Wii U with a second screen.
People are all over a underpowered Switch which at the same is the best handheld ever made.
Nintendo Labo were a failure, Ring Fit hardware is only suitable for one game, Mario Kart AR won't be supported by third parties as it's limited to "kart racing".
Looking at history since 1980's, we know what people wanted and didn't want. Over 95% of add-ons ever were a failure the last 40 years.
Nintendo could have made a Switch Pro dock with a GTX 1070 GPU, but the dock would be huge because of the cooling needed.
Also. How many people would pay 3-400$ for a Pro Dock?
Congrats!!!! I’m truly happy for the Switch’s success. And this from a person who likes then 3DS more. But today is Switch’s day. Congrats.
Impressive! And not even quite 4 years in. I am finally won over that the Switch is probably set to break the 100 million mark.
@SNES64DD,
With the lower price of media this should not be the case in 2020.
@liveswired,
I will always keep my fingers crossed for more power, and it's not out of the question that Nintendo may have a more powerful switch that would allow enhanced versions of it's games, while this software would run in regular mode on the existing Switch models.
The new dock could play a huge part in this as well, we all remember Nintendo's patents before the Switch launch of a dock style device that added extra processing power to the main unit. this would like up with the fact the original Switch dock has pretty much ended production quite a while ago.
This could mean potentially people would buy the new model Switch that would come supplied with the new Dock, and owners of the previous models could also buy this new dock to give their existing consoles a slight power boost as well.
If they are pretty much keeping the same chip in the console but slightly revised, then a firmware update for all existing Switch consoles is a possibility.
Exciting and interesting times for the Switch for sure.
@johnvboy Hope you're referring to sales. The 3DS blew the DS out of the water when it came to quality games. Namely we actually got decent Fire Emblem, Zelda and Mario games. DS was a disappointment for me overall way too much touchscreen emphasis and the console couldn't really handle the 3D and many games suffered as a result. Pokemon HG/SS and FFIV Remake and some decent Atlus games were its saving grace and backwards compatibility with the far superior GBA catalogue.
@HammerKirby
I think @Ventilator was referring to the constant "rumours" and "leaks for the so-called "Switch Pro" - It's a virtually pointless upgrade, if you give some thought about the potential pricing of both manufacturing and retail.
@Mikey_205,
Yes I was saying the DS was a much better selling console, only just beaten on sales by the PS2, I never indicated any of the two consoles had any better games.
@NathanTheAsian Yeah. External 4K GPU in a new dock won't be a big seller because of the high price tag. People would just buy Series X or PS5 instead.
A lot have happened in power on "tablet" GPU's the last years in phones and surpassed Switch power 2-3 years ago.
The problem with powerful phones is lack of good games.
2000$ phones is still stuck with touch games designed to grind your wallet.
This is why Switch sells so good, as phones is not even close to compete with Switch on gaming.
This won't change anytime soon, as no AAA devs cared about phones since HD gaming came to them almost 10 years ago.
Tegra X1 in Switch lacks 4 cores which Shield TV version from 2014 have.
During last 6 years, i guess NVIDIA secretly may have made a upgraded one.
NOTE: Tegra X2 used in cars have no more power than X1.
Sony's fake X1 TV chip had like 10 times less power than Switch.
Don't be tricked. The fastest Tegra X1 is still in NVIDIA Shield TV as of 2021, but 2019 version also supports AI Scaling to 4K and Dolby Vision.
Remember this? Read the comments people made in 2017 about how Switch wouldn’t even last 4 years on the market, and how Switch would never stand a chance at reaching 130 mil by 2022.
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/09/credit_suisse_forecasts_130_million_nintendo_switch_sales_by_2022
And yet, at the end of 2021 it’ll be at 105 million sold, and by end of 2022, assuming the pace continues, 130 million sold.
People thought those analysts were crazy. Turns out they were dead on.
If Switch generation extends 7-8 years, there’s a real chance it could break the all time record of 155m held by PS2/DS. Obviously sales will slow toward the end of the cycle, but it’s certainly within reach, and if they don’t break the record, they’ll at least be within a stone’s throw.
Damn... 3ds library is still more attractive to me
I'm glad because I like Nintendo games, and I'm glad games are free of the hand-cramping 3DS (really wish they made a comfortable version, the XL with the eye-tracking was just barely playable for me).
Interesting comparison might be 3DS plus Wii U sales during the lifetime of the Wii U? Because the Switch is replacing both at the same time.
Another comparison that would be nice to see is the number of 1st party releases on 3DS+Wii U games in that era compared to the number of 1st party releases on Switch... also comparing to the number of entirely new 1st party games.
My hope was always that this would mean a more prolific output, and maybe it really is because the games are a bit more ambitious, larger than 3DS games, and/or at least full-featured compared to some of the penny-pinching development tactics near the end to make up for low numbers of sales that would go with the Wii U sales.
Nintendo keeps managing to win new fans over, though! The promise of BotW 2 and Metroid Prime 4 keep my attention. I'm playing games in many places right now, though, and the portable nature just isn't that important to me and mine.
@JaxonH There were many in those comments who thought it was attainable. I was disappointed to find I didn't post on that article back then. I'm genuinely curious what I would have said. I remember being surprised almost every time Nintendo made their sales guidance, but I also remember seeing students at college carrying their Switch around pretty early on after release so I think I was on the side of thinking it was possible.
It's actually fun to read those comments. The reasons for the skepticism people shared were interesting
@aaronsullivan
Ya, games on 3DS weren’t anywhere near the level of scope and polish Switch games have (see Zelda BotW vs Link Between Worlds, or Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate vs Monster Hunter Rise, even Pokémon, for all its faults, seems more ambitious).
I was skeptical in that article, but within reason. I said it would at least match 3DS, which seemed on track for 80m at the time. So I reasoned 100m was possible, though 130 seemed overly optimistic.
I hope Switch breaks the record held by PS2/DS, just for the sake of all the people who unabashedly mocked it and laughed when it was announced, saying it was the most ridiculous, idiotic console they’d ever seen and was sure to fail worse than Wii U (PushSquare members, cough cough).
Given those figures are 2 weeks old, the Switch is probably on around 78 million right now. It'll outsell the Gameboy Advance and PSP by the end of this March latest, by June/July it'll have outsold the 360 (84 mill) and by Xmas 2021 latest it'll have outsold the PS3 and be within 5 mill of the Wii which it'll surpass by March 2022 latest. Xmas 2022 will see it pass the PS4 and the by March 2023 it'll have surpassed the original Gameboy and that'll leave it as the 3rd best selling dedicated gaming machine of all time.
B-b-b-ut Switch sales figures should be compared to handhel....oh wait.
@Ventilator
There's also the issue of Game Cards and storage, considering they contribute some amount to textures and performance. I hope everyone else realizes how expensive it is to manufacture one.
Likely numbers given that the Switch has not lost any momentum this quarter, but I'm still waiting for the quarterly update. VGChartz is not the most reliable source of information, given that they are very hush-hush on how they accrue their data and there have been a couple times it differs wildly from official citations.
@NathanTheAsian Yes, i should have thought of that too as i knew of it in my back head.
Storage will be big a huge problem on Switch since there is no HDD support in USB like Wii U had.
External HDD would be a problem on Switch for 2 reasons.
1.) No hot swap support even for SD cards.
2.) People would take out Switch from dock while a game runs from HDD, and expect a 30.GB game to suddenly run from 3.GB RAM.
Official retail carts is only 16 or 32.GB at most. 64.GB were announced years ago, but still don't exist for devs.
@westman98 are they over or under on this or do you not know?
Not gonna lie: that's insane. I am not saying that this is necessarily "good", as a great many things died with the 3DS, but impressive? No doubt. End of era truly ...
@Yosher PS2 had two versions: PS2 and PS2 Slim. Plus both black and white editions.
@IronMan30
Vgchartz numbers are under the real ones.
@westman98 I kind of figured, based on my own estimates. That and VGchartz seems to be on the pessimistic side for their Switch numbers.
Great now if only the games, controllers, and system itself lowered in prices things would sell more. Nintendo has gotten greedy over the years. Switch is too premium priced for a glorified handheld. Still waiting for Nintendo Selects for Switch.
@Kalmaro and that's a bad thing?
@serouj2000 Why do you ask? I never said it was.
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