Nintendo has officially reported the business's earnings report of its Nintendo Switch game console. The company announced that the original Nintendo Switch has become the company’s best-selling video game console ever.
Keeping records since its inception, March 2017, to December 31, 2025, the game company said it had sold 155.37 million units of the original Nintendo Switch worldwide.
This total surpasses the lifetime sales of the Nintendo DS, which previously held the record with 154.02 million units sold.
The Nintendo Switch is a versatile hybrid gaming console that functions as both a home console and a handheld device, featuring detachable Joy-Con controllers, a 6.2-inch to 7-inch display, and a massive library of exclusive titles.
However, it's important to note that despite the fact that the Switch now holds the crown for Nintendo’s all-time highest-selling console, it still trails Sony’s PlayStation 2 (the all-time global sales leader), which has sold over 160 million units in history.
Notably, the Nintendo DS had sold 154.02 million units, and other Nintendo systems lag further behind.
Nintendo also provided that over 17.37 million Nintendo Switch 2' units sold have been recorded, starting from its launched in June 2025 to December 2025. That performance makes the Switch 2 the fastest-selling Nintendo console at launch, and it has surpassed some earlier Nintendo systems’ lifetime totals in just months.
Nintendo expects 19 million Switch 2 units to be sold by the end of the fiscal year. Nintendo’s third-quarter fiscal results (fiscal 2026) show an increase in profit (about 51%) and overall revenue tied to strong hardware and software sales.
In addition to that, Nintendo is navigating higher component costs (e.g., memory chips) but says earnings remain solid.
Even with the new hardware out, the original Switch still sold units in late 2025. The sales happen due to competitive pricing and ongoing demand. Some of the best-selling Switch games continue to push software sales upward, contributing to the system’s long tail.
