Why Nintendo Switch will surpass the PS2 to become the best-selling console of all time
Nintendo Switch is closing in on PS2's record-breaking total
📈 Nintendo Switch is on course to surpass the PS2’s sales record
🏆 A strong showing for the rest of 2024 and early 2025 will help drive more sales
👏 Nintendo announced a new Zelda, Mario & Luigi, and Mario Party game
😮 Nintendo is also releasing a limited edition Nintendo Switch Lite
The Nintendo Switch is closing in on PS2’s record of being the best-selling console of all time – and there’s a good chance it could surpass Sony’s legendary system.
According to Wikipedia, the Nintendo Switch is currently in third position on 141.32 million consoles sold. That’s around 14 million behind the PS2, which is sitting pretty on 155 million.
However, the Nintendo Switch recently became the best-selling console of all time in Japan in February, and it’s now just 1.5 million units away from besting the PS2’s US sales.
For a console approaching its eighth year on sale, selling another 14 million units may seem incredibly unlikely. But after yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, which sadly didn’t include any Switch 2 news, there’s every possibility Nintendo could manage it.
Not only did we see a truly fantastic lineup of games – including Mario & Luigi: Brotherhood, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Super Mario Party Jamboree, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, and the long-awaited Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – but Nintendo also announced a limited edition Nintendo Switch Lite.
Releasing new hardware at this stage of a console lifecycle seems counterintuitive, but Nintendo has the games and the momentum that the decision makes sense. The Switch sold 18 million units in its 2023 fiscal year, and a Nintendo Switch Lite launching alongside a new Zelda game will only help keep those numbers high.
Nintendo’s decision to keep quiet on the Switch 2 will also help sales continue. Even though Nintendo revealed that a Nintendo Switch 2 is indeed in development, it’s made sure that all of its focus and consumers’ attention is still firmly on its current system.
Black Friday and the holiday season will naturally give us a clearer indication of whether the Nintendo Switch will surpass the PS2’s sales total, as bundles and discounts will only spur Switch sales in a positive direction. But with the announcement of several games set for 2025, including Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Nintendo has also shown there’s a lot of life left in its hybrid console.
To say the Switch has been a success is an understatement, especially because it came after the disastrous Wii U, which was Nintendo’s worst-selling home console. Everything points to the Nintendo Switch 2 continuing the momentum and goodwill Nintendo has generated, and hopefully, we’ll soon find out more about its next system.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.