Monthly Archives: August 2022
Where Switch, PS5 Rank Among the Best-Selling Video Game Consoles of All Time
Sony's PlayStation 2 has long reigned as the best-selling video game console of all time. Despite its massive sales success, PlayStation 4 will end its run tens of millions of units away from the top spot. And while it, too, is still a long way from the top, Switch has maintained extraordinary sales momentum, recently passing Wii and PS1 to become the fifth best-selling console of all time.
With Switch and PS4 having secured their spots among the all-time best-selling consoles, we set out to discover how the rest of Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft's hardware stack up. Now halfway through 2022, we've expanded our original list of 15 to 28, making room for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as hardware from former console makers Sega and Atari.
So scroll down or click through the gallery below for our list of the 28 best-selling video game consoles of all time, with additional information on release dates, highest-rated games, and more.
(Some sales figures come straight from the hardware manufacturers, while others are estimated based on the most recently reported numbers and market analysis. Unofficial sales totals are marked with an asterisk (*). The highest-rated games, meanwhile, come from Metacritic.)
If you only care about the biggest sellers, here's the TL;DR Top 5 Best-Selling Consoles list, in order. Scroll down for more details and breakdowns:
- PlayStation 2 (Sony) - 159 million*
- Nintendo DS (Nintendo) - 154.02 million
- Game Boy/Game Boy Color (Nintendo) - 118.69 million
- PlayStation 4 (Sony) - 116.9 million
- Nintendo Switch (Nintendo) - 111.08 million
28. Sega Dreamcast – 9.13 million*
*According to Sega’s 2001 annual report, lifetime sales for the console had hit 8.2 million by March 31, 2001 — the day Sega ended Dreamcast production. In the first half of the following fiscal year, the company reported it had sold an additional 130,000 units in Japan and 530,000 in the U.S, bringing the sales total up to 8.86 million. Remaining inventory for those two territories at the time, according to that same report, totaled 270,000 units. We know, thanks to Sega’s 2002 annual report, it eventually sold through all of that remaining inventory, bringing our sales total up to 9.13 million.
Now, the only figures missing are sales and inventory in Europe and Asia (outside of Japan) after March 31, 2001. However, we can seemingly discount Europe, as remaining European inventory was sold to Bigben Interactive around the time production ended. It’s unknown how many units were left in Asia, though it’s likely a fairly insignificant number considering it was the lowest performing of those four markets. As such, we’re sticking with the known total of 9.13 million.
27. Sega Saturn – 9.26 million*
*As of March 31, 1998, Saturn had sold 8.8 million units when it was discontinued in the U.S. That was the last official update from Sega, though the console would continue to be sold in Japan for another two years. 9.26 million is the final estimate given by research firm CESA. While we don’t have any official numbers to bridge that gap between 8.8 and 9.26 million, CESA’s Dreamcast estimate proved accurate (according to our math), and so we’re going to accept its Saturn total as the best available guess.
26. Wii U – 13.56 million
With 13.56 million units sold, according to official sales data, Wii U is Nintendo’s worst-selling console of all time by a wide margin. However, as former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé told CNN, the lessons learned from Wii U were crucial in propelling the Switch to success.
25. Sega Game Gear – 13.9 million*
*There are several Game Gear sales totals floating around the web: 10.62 million (from a data compilation on NeoGAF), 12 million (from late Sega executive Joe Miller), and “about” 14 million (from former Sega president Hideki Sato). Considering those three sources, we’ve opted to go with the company’s former president, assuming “about” means slightly less than 14 million.
24. PlayStation Vita – 14 million*
*Despite a dedicated fanbase, Sony’s follow-up to the PSP failed to gain a similar foothold in the handheld market, falling well short of its predecessor's sales total. Sony stopped reporting sales figures for Vita fairly early on in its lifecycle, though estimates — from news outlets and industry analysts — put the total somewhere between 10 and 15 million. Gamesindustry.biz reported Vita “sold south of" 15 million units, yet ended its run “marginally ahead” of Wii U, leading us to our rough estimate of 14 million.
23. Xbox Series X|S – 17 million*
*Microsoft has continued its policy of not disclosing sales numbers this generation, making it impossible to know the exact sales total of Xbox Series X|S. However, according to an estimate from Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad, Microsoft had shipped over 12 million Series X|S consoles to retailers between its November 2020 launch and the end of 2021.
Microsoft announced it was the next-gen market leader in North America for 2022's first two quarters (and globally for at least the first (via VGC)). Sony shipped 4.4 million PS5s from January–June 2022, according to its official numbers, and so we're assuming Xbox Series X|S sales over that same period are slightly higher, perhaps in the ballpark of 5 million, leading to our estimate of 17 million units sold. (As noted, this is an estimate on top of an estimate; it's not meant to represent an official sales figure but rather our best guess based on available data.)
We do know for certain, however, Xbox Series X|S remain the fastest-selling Xbox consoles of all time. (For context: Microsoft shipped 11.6 million Xbox 360s over the same time frame (via Reuters); Xbox One sales figures are unknown.)
22. Sega Master System/Mark III – 20 million*
*According to a compilation on NeoGAF of available sales data, Master System sold 6.2 million units in Europe. In Brazil, its biggest market, sales reached over 8 million, bringing our total to 14.2 million. Estimates for sales in Japan and the U.S., meanwhile, generally sit around 2 million per territory. Accounting for another 2 million in remaining territories — such as Australia and South Korea, where the console reportedly sold fairly well —we arrive at our final estimate of 20 million.
21. Xbox – 21 million*
*While Microsoft hasn’t announced an official sales total for the original Xbox, an archived post from the official Xbox website states "more than 24 million Xbox consoles" had been sold as of May 2006. Total Xbox 360 sales at that time had just hit 3.3 million units, according to GamesIndustry.biz, leading us to our estimate of 21 million for the original system.
20. PlayStation 5 – 21.6 million
PlayStation 5 is another massive success for Sony, selling 21.6 million units by the end of June 2022, according to its official sales numbers (7.8 million during Sony's fiscal year 2020, 11.4 during FY21, and 2.4 during FY22 so far). A persistent chip shortage has kept PS5 from matching the sales pace of its predecessor, PS4, which has gone on to sell over 100 million units and counting.
19. GameCube – 21.74 million
The GameCube ended its run with 21.74 million units sold, according to Nintendo’s official numbers, making it the company’s second-worst-selling console to date. However, with 208.57 million software units sold, its number of games sold per console is the highest for any Nintendo system at 9.59.
18. Atari 2600 – 30 million*
*The oldest console on this list, Atari 2600 sold an impressive 30 million units in its lifetime, according to an archived version of a press release from Atari partner AtGames. The 2600 is by far Atari’s most successful console, with none of its successors — 5200, 7800, and Jaguar — selling enough units to qualify for this list.
17. Nintendo 64 – 32.93 million
Nintendo’s third home console ended its run with just under 33 million units sold, according to official sales numbers from the company. N64 Software sales fell just shy of 225 million units, giving it the lowest number of games sold per system (6.83) for a Nintendo home console.
16. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive – 35 million*
*The sales total of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is a topic of much debate among game historians. The actual figure is impossible to lock down given the lack of concrete data, but estimates generally range from 30 to 40 million units. Aforementioned Sega executive Joe Miller once said system sales were over 40 million, though that number is highly contested and seemingly contradicted by Sega’s available sales data. Compilations of that data — from internet researchers and professional research firms — show first-party console sales hit somewhere between 28 and 31 million units.
Add in estimated third-party console sales from companies such as TecToy in Brazil (where the console performed well into the 2010s) and Majesco in North America, and we arrive at our ballpark figure of 35 million — a number seemingly corroborated by a 2017 press release from Sega partner AtGames.
15. SNES/Super Famicom – 49.10 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo. While the SNES fell short of its predecessor in terms of sales, the console is remembered fondly for its expansive library of high-quality games, including those listed above. 379 million units of software were sold for the system. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System -- or Super Famicom as it's known in Japan -- often tops "best console" lists thanks to its massive third-party support and iconic single- and multiplayer games.
14. Xbox One – 50 million*
*Microsoft stopped reporting Xbox One sales in October 2015, opting to "look at engagement" as a "key metric for success," according to a Microsoft spokesperson (via Variety). However, according to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, Xbox One consoles combined to sell over 50 million units by the beginning of 2020. That number has certainly grown since, though likely not by a significant amount, as Microsoft ended Xbox One production later that year.
13. NES/Famicom – 61.91 million
Nintendo's official numbers put NES sales at over 61 million units. The most senior entry on this list, Nintendo's first console went on to generate over 500 million units of software sales. The NES is often credited with bringing video games back from the dead after the video game crash that ended once dominant brands such as Atari.
12. Nintendo 3DS – 75.94 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and is current as of December 31, 2020. It encompasses total sales for all systems within the 3DS family, which includes all variations of Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 2DS. To date, the handheld family has generated 385 million units of software sales. The 3DS didn't see a direct successor, effectively turning Nintendo from a console/handheld maker into a single-system-focused publisher.
11. Game Boy Advance – 81.51 million
This official sales figure comes directly from Nintendo. The company also notes software sales for the handheld closed at 377 million units. The Game Boy Advance line of devices included many different design iterations and form factors, the last of which was the Game Boy Micro in 2005. The top-selling model was the Game Boy Advance SP, with 43.57 million units sold. The Game Boy Micro only sold 2.42 million during its short run.
10. PlayStation Portable – 82 million*
*Sony last reported an official sales total for PSP in 2012, when it announced the handheld had sold 76 million units. The system would continue to be produced for an additional two years, during which time it's unknown exactly how many units were sold. However, in an interview with former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden, former IGN editor Colin Moriarty noted 82 million PSPs were "in the wild," though it's unclear if that number was confirmed by Layden.
9. Xbox 360 – 85 million*
*In June 2014, Microsoft reported it had shipped 84 million Xbox 360s to retailers. While Microsoft stopped reporting specific sales figures in 2015, the system remained in production for nearly two years. During that two-year period, we can safely assume Microsoft converted that 84 million figure from sell-in to sell-through, while, conservatively estimating, moving an additional one million units. If accurate, that would place Xbox 360 in the eighth spot on the list of best-selling consoles.
8. PlayStation 3 – 87.5 million*
*As of March 31, 2017, PS3 had sold 87.4 million units, according to Sony. The system would remain in production through May of that same year. With that in mind, it's likely PS3 ended its run with somewhere between 87 and 88 million units sold, leaving us with our conservative estimate of 87.5
7. Nintendo Wii – 101.63 million
According to official sales figures from Nintendo, Wii ended its run as the sixth-best-selling console of all time. With over 100 million systems sold, Wii generated 920 million units of software sales — the second most for any Nintendo console.
6. PlayStation – 102.4 million
According to Sony, the original PlayStation's final sales total sits at 102.4 million, with over 960 million software units sold. This makes it the third-best-selling Sony console ever, as it's since been surpassed by PlayStation 4.
5. Nintendo Switch – 111.08 million
By the end of 2021, Switch became the fastest home console to reach 100 million units sold and the best-selling Nintendo home console of all time. It recently passed the sales totals of Wii and the original PlayStation to enter the top five of this list, now sitting at over 111 million units sold. According to Nintendo, over 863 million software units have been sold for Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the console's best-selling game, with nearly 47 million copies sold. The Switch combines the console and handheld business lines Nintendo formerly supported with separate hardware and software.
4. PlayStation 4 – 117.2 million
PlayStation 4 dominated the eighth generation of consoles. After shipping 1 million units during Sony's fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, PS4 sales now sit at 117.2 million. The console holds the title of "fastest home console to reach 100 million unit sell in," according to Niko Partners analyst Sony's, beating PS2 to the milestone by two months. To date, more than a billion software units have been sold for the console.
3. Game Boy/Game Boy Color – 118.69 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and includes sales of both the original Game Boy and subsequent Game Boy Color. 501 million units of software were sold for the console — good for third on Nintendo's all-time software list.
2. Nintendo DS – 154.02 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and encompasses total sales for all systems within the DS family, including the original model, DS Lite, and DSi. Nintendo DS is also the company's best-performing system in terms of software sales, with nearly 950 million games sold.
1. PlayStation 2 – 159 million*
*PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time. Sony's beloved system tops Nintendo DS by roughly 5 million units sold, while handily outselling every other console in existence. As of January 31, 2011, Sony had sold 150 million PS2s to retailers. While that was the last official total reported, the console would remain in production through early 2013. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad (via ResetEra) noted sales climbed to 155.1 million through March 2012. Our grand total of 159 million was reached using Ahmad's continued logic:
"In the fiscal year ending March 2013 a total of 16.5 million PS3 & PS2 units were shipped," he wrote. "PS2 was still being shipped during this period so the info we're missing is how many units were PS2 and how many were PS3. Using PS3's 80m sell in announcements as a guide you can work backwards and ultimately work out that PS2 [sales from March 2012 through the end of its production] must have been close to 4m."
Its software sales sit at a staggering 1.5 billion units, according to Sony.
Updated August 4, 2022 to reflect changes in Switch, PS5, Xbox Series, and other various console sales since the newest generation of consoles began.
Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
Where Switch, PS5 Rank Among the Best-Selling Video Game Consoles of All Time
Sony's PlayStation 2 has long reigned as the best-selling video game console of all time. Despite its massive sales success, PlayStation 4 will end its run tens of millions of units away from the top spot. And while it, too, is still a long way from the top, Switch has maintained extraordinary sales momentum, recently passing Wii and PS1 to become the fifth best-selling console of all time.
With Switch and PS4 having secured their spots among the all-time best-selling consoles, we set out to discover how the rest of Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft's hardware stack up. Now halfway through 2022, we've expanded our original list of 15 to 28, making room for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, as well as hardware from former console makers Sega and Atari.
So scroll down or click through the gallery below for our list of the 28 best-selling video game consoles of all time, with additional information on release dates, highest-rated games, and more.
(Some sales figures come straight from the hardware manufacturers, while others are estimated based on the most recently reported numbers and market analysis. Unofficial sales totals are marked with an asterisk (*). The highest-rated games, meanwhile, come from Metacritic.)
If you only care about the biggest sellers, here's the TL;DR Top 5 Best-Selling Consoles list, in order. Scroll down for more details and breakdowns:
- PlayStation 2 (Sony) - 159 million*
- Nintendo DS (Nintendo) - 154.02 million
- Game Boy/Game Boy Color (Nintendo) - 118.69 million
- PlayStation 4 (Sony) - 116.9 million
- Nintendo Switch (Nintendo) - 111.08 million
28. Sega Dreamcast – 9.13 million*
*According to Sega’s 2001 annual report, lifetime sales for the console had hit 8.2 million by March 31, 2001 — the day Sega ended Dreamcast production. In the first half of the following fiscal year, the company reported it had sold an additional 130,000 units in Japan and 530,000 in the U.S, bringing the sales total up to 8.86 million. Remaining inventory for those two territories at the time, according to that same report, totaled 270,000 units. We know, thanks to Sega’s 2002 annual report, it eventually sold through all of that remaining inventory, bringing our sales total up to 9.13 million.
Now, the only figures missing are sales and inventory in Europe and Asia (outside of Japan) after March 31, 2001. However, we can seemingly discount Europe, as remaining European inventory was sold to Bigben Interactive around the time production ended. It’s unknown how many units were left in Asia, though it’s likely a fairly insignificant number considering it was the lowest performing of those four markets. As such, we’re sticking with the known total of 9.13 million.
27. Sega Saturn – 9.26 million*
*As of March 31, 1998, Saturn had sold 8.8 million units when it was discontinued in the U.S. That was the last official update from Sega, though the console would continue to be sold in Japan for another two years. 9.26 million is the final estimate given by research firm CESA. While we don’t have any official numbers to bridge that gap between 8.8 and 9.26 million, CESA’s Dreamcast estimate proved accurate (according to our math), and so we’re going to accept its Saturn total as the best available guess.
26. Wii U – 13.56 million
With 13.56 million units sold, according to official sales data, Wii U is Nintendo’s worst-selling console of all time by a wide margin. However, as former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé told CNN, the lessons learned from Wii U were crucial in propelling the Switch to success.
25. Sega Game Gear – 13.9 million*
*There are several Game Gear sales totals floating around the web: 10.62 million (from a data compilation on NeoGAF), 12 million (from late Sega executive Joe Miller), and “about” 14 million (from former Sega president Hideki Sato). Considering those three sources, we’ve opted to go with the company’s former president, assuming “about” means slightly less than 14 million.
24. PlayStation Vita – 14 million*
*Despite a dedicated fanbase, Sony’s follow-up to the PSP failed to gain a similar foothold in the handheld market, falling well short of its predecessor's sales total. Sony stopped reporting sales figures for Vita fairly early on in its lifecycle, though estimates — from news outlets and industry analysts — put the total somewhere between 10 and 15 million. Gamesindustry.biz reported Vita “sold south of" 15 million units, yet ended its run “marginally ahead” of Wii U, leading us to our rough estimate of 14 million.
23. Xbox Series X|S – 17 million*
*Microsoft has continued its policy of not disclosing sales numbers this generation, making it impossible to know the exact sales total of Xbox Series X|S. However, according to an estimate from Niko Partners senior analyst Daniel Ahmad, Microsoft had shipped over 12 million Series X|S consoles to retailers between its November 2020 launch and the end of 2021.
Microsoft announced it was the next-gen market leader in North America for 2022's first two quarters (and globally for at least the first (via VGC)). Sony shipped 4.4 million PS5s from January–June 2022, according to its official numbers, and so we're assuming Xbox Series X|S sales over that same period are slightly higher, perhaps in the ballpark of 5 million, leading to our estimate of 17 million units sold. (As noted, this is an estimate on top of an estimate; it's not meant to represent an official sales figure but rather our best guess based on available data.)
We do know for certain, however, Xbox Series X|S remain the fastest-selling Xbox consoles of all time. (For context: Microsoft shipped 11.6 million Xbox 360s over the same time frame (via Reuters); Xbox One sales figures are unknown.)
22. Sega Master System/Mark III – 20 million*
*According to a compilation on NeoGAF of available sales data, Master System sold 6.2 million units in Europe. In Brazil, its biggest market, sales reached over 8 million, bringing our total to 14.2 million. Estimates for sales in Japan and the U.S., meanwhile, generally sit around 2 million per territory. Accounting for another 2 million in remaining territories — such as Australia and South Korea, where the console reportedly sold fairly well —we arrive at our final estimate of 20 million.
21. Xbox – 21 million*
*While Microsoft hasn’t announced an official sales total for the original Xbox, an archived post from the official Xbox website states "more than 24 million Xbox consoles" had been sold as of May 2006. Total Xbox 360 sales at that time had just hit 3.3 million units, according to GamesIndustry.biz, leading us to our estimate of 21 million for the original system.
20. PlayStation 5 – 21.6 million
PlayStation 5 is another massive success for Sony, selling 21.6 million units by the end of June 2022, according to its official sales numbers (7.8 million during Sony's fiscal year 2020, 11.4 during FY21, and 2.4 during FY22 so far). A persistent chip shortage has kept PS5 from matching the sales pace of its predecessor, PS4, which has gone on to sell over 100 million units and counting.
19. GameCube – 21.74 million
The GameCube ended its run with 21.74 million units sold, according to Nintendo’s official numbers, making it the company’s second-worst-selling console to date. However, with 208.57 million software units sold, its number of games sold per console is the highest for any Nintendo system at 9.59.
18. Atari 2600 – 30 million*
*The oldest console on this list, Atari 2600 sold an impressive 30 million units in its lifetime, according to an archived version of a press release from Atari partner AtGames. The 2600 is by far Atari’s most successful console, with none of its successors — 5200, 7800, and Jaguar — selling enough units to qualify for this list.
17. Nintendo 64 – 32.93 million
Nintendo’s third home console ended its run with just under 33 million units sold, according to official sales numbers from the company. N64 Software sales fell just shy of 225 million units, giving it the lowest number of games sold per system (6.83) for a Nintendo home console.
16. Sega Genesis/Mega Drive – 35 million*
*The sales total of Sega Genesis/Mega Drive is a topic of much debate among game historians. The actual figure is impossible to lock down given the lack of concrete data, but estimates generally range from 30 to 40 million units. Aforementioned Sega executive Joe Miller once said system sales were over 40 million, though that number is highly contested and seemingly contradicted by Sega’s available sales data. Compilations of that data — from internet researchers and professional research firms — show first-party console sales hit somewhere between 28 and 31 million units.
Add in estimated third-party console sales from companies such as TecToy in Brazil (where the console performed well into the 2010s) and Majesco in North America, and we arrive at our ballpark figure of 35 million — a number seemingly corroborated by a 2017 press release from Sega partner AtGames.
15. SNES/Super Famicom – 49.10 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo. While the SNES fell short of its predecessor in terms of sales, the console is remembered fondly for its expansive library of high-quality games, including those listed above. 379 million units of software were sold for the system. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System -- or Super Famicom as it's known in Japan -- often tops "best console" lists thanks to its massive third-party support and iconic single- and multiplayer games.
14. Xbox One – 50 million*
*Microsoft stopped reporting Xbox One sales in October 2015, opting to "look at engagement" as a "key metric for success," according to a Microsoft spokesperson (via Variety). However, according to Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, Xbox One consoles combined to sell over 50 million units by the beginning of 2020. That number has certainly grown since, though likely not by a significant amount, as Microsoft ended Xbox One production later that year.
13. NES/Famicom – 61.91 million
Nintendo's official numbers put NES sales at over 61 million units. The most senior entry on this list, Nintendo's first console went on to generate over 500 million units of software sales. The NES is often credited with bringing video games back from the dead after the video game crash that ended once dominant brands such as Atari.
12. Nintendo 3DS – 75.94 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and is current as of December 31, 2020. It encompasses total sales for all systems within the 3DS family, which includes all variations of Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 2DS. To date, the handheld family has generated 385 million units of software sales. The 3DS didn't see a direct successor, effectively turning Nintendo from a console/handheld maker into a single-system-focused publisher.
11. Game Boy Advance – 81.51 million
This official sales figure comes directly from Nintendo. The company also notes software sales for the handheld closed at 377 million units. The Game Boy Advance line of devices included many different design iterations and form factors, the last of which was the Game Boy Micro in 2005. The top-selling model was the Game Boy Advance SP, with 43.57 million units sold. The Game Boy Micro only sold 2.42 million during its short run.
10. PlayStation Portable – 82 million*
*Sony last reported an official sales total for PSP in 2012, when it announced the handheld had sold 76 million units. The system would continue to be produced for an additional two years, during which time it's unknown exactly how many units were sold. However, in an interview with former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden, former IGN editor Colin Moriarty noted 82 million PSPs were "in the wild," though it's unclear if that number was confirmed by Layden.
9. Xbox 360 – 85 million*
*In June 2014, Microsoft reported it had shipped 84 million Xbox 360s to retailers. While Microsoft stopped reporting specific sales figures in 2015, the system remained in production for nearly two years. During that two-year period, we can safely assume Microsoft converted that 84 million figure from sell-in to sell-through, while, conservatively estimating, moving an additional one million units. If accurate, that would place Xbox 360 in the eighth spot on the list of best-selling consoles.
8. PlayStation 3 – 87.5 million*
*As of March 31, 2017, PS3 had sold 87.4 million units, according to Sony. The system would remain in production through May of that same year. With that in mind, it's likely PS3 ended its run with somewhere between 87 and 88 million units sold, leaving us with our conservative estimate of 87.5
7. Nintendo Wii – 101.63 million
According to official sales figures from Nintendo, Wii ended its run as the sixth-best-selling console of all time. With over 100 million systems sold, Wii generated 920 million units of software sales — the second most for any Nintendo console.
6. PlayStation – 102.4 million
According to Sony, the original PlayStation's final sales total sits at 102.4 million, with over 960 million software units sold. This makes it the third-best-selling Sony console ever, as it's since been surpassed by PlayStation 4.
5. Nintendo Switch – 111.08 million
By the end of 2021, Switch became the fastest home console to reach 100 million units sold and the best-selling Nintendo home console of all time. It recently passed the sales totals of Wii and the original PlayStation to enter the top five of this list, now sitting at over 111 million units sold. According to Nintendo, over 863 million software units have been sold for Switch. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains the console's best-selling game, with nearly 47 million copies sold. The Switch combines the console and handheld business lines Nintendo formerly supported with separate hardware and software.
4. PlayStation 4 – 117.2 million
PlayStation 4 dominated the eighth generation of consoles. After shipping 1 million units during Sony's fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, PS4 sales now sit at 117.2 million. The console holds the title of "fastest home console to reach 100 million unit sell in," according to Niko Partners analyst Sony's, beating PS2 to the milestone by two months. To date, more than a billion software units have been sold for the console.
3. Game Boy/Game Boy Color – 118.69 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and includes sales of both the original Game Boy and subsequent Game Boy Color. 501 million units of software were sold for the console — good for third on Nintendo's all-time software list.
2. Nintendo DS – 154.02 million
This sales figure comes directly from Nintendo and encompasses total sales for all systems within the DS family, including the original model, DS Lite, and DSi. Nintendo DS is also the company's best-performing system in terms of software sales, with nearly 950 million games sold.
1. PlayStation 2 – 159 million*
*PlayStation 2 remains the best-selling video game console of all time. Sony's beloved system tops Nintendo DS by roughly 5 million units sold, while handily outselling every other console in existence. As of January 31, 2011, Sony had sold 150 million PS2s to retailers. While that was the last official total reported, the console would remain in production through early 2013. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad (via ResetEra) noted sales climbed to 155.1 million through March 2012. Our grand total of 159 million was reached using Ahmad's continued logic:
"In the fiscal year ending March 2013 a total of 16.5 million PS3 & PS2 units were shipped," he wrote. "PS2 was still being shipped during this period so the info we're missing is how many units were PS2 and how many were PS3. Using PS3's 80m sell in announcements as a guide you can work backwards and ultimately work out that PS2 [sales from March 2012 through the end of its production] must have been close to 4m."
Its software sales sit at a staggering 1.5 billion units, according to Sony.
Updated August 4, 2022 to reflect changes in Switch, PS5, Xbox Series, and other various console sales since the newest generation of consoles began.
Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
Lady Gaga Officially Confirmed for Joker 2
Lady Gaga is officially confirmed for the upcoming Joker sequel, Folie A Deux.
The musician and actress posted the title for Joker 2 as well as its release date on her official social media channels, including Twitter and Instagram. Alongside the caption, she posted a short video of the Joker and her's silhouette dancing to old-timey music.
While the message doesn't reveal what role she's going to play, it was heavily reported that Lady Gaga would be starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the next Joker movie as Harley Quinn. The next Joker is also said to be a musical, which would suit her abilities as a singer.
The next Joker movie will be called Folie A Deux and will be released on October 4, 2024. Director Todd Phillips has co-written the script for the sequel and will return as director, while Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker.
Despite the upheaval at Warner Bros. Discovery, including the cancellation of the completed Batgirl movie, the company is moving ahead with producing DC movies based on high-profile characters like the Joker. The movie and its sequel are also unrelated to Matt Reeves' Batman movie which is set in a different universe.
While Lady Gaga is best known for her music, she has made serious forays into acting including a lead role in 2018's A Star Is Born remake where she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She was last seen in 2021's House of Gucci directed by Ridley Scott.
No word yet on plot details for Joker 2, but the subtitle Folie A Deux refers to a psychiatric affliction where two people suffer the same delusion at once, which has led to speculation that Harley Quinn will be in the sequel. Speculation that will only intensify with the new casting.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Lady Gaga Officially Confirmed for Joker 2
Lady Gaga is officially confirmed for the upcoming Joker sequel, Folie A Deux.
The musician and actress posted the title for Joker 2 as well as its release date on her official social media channels, including Twitter and Instagram. Alongside the caption, she posted a short video of the Joker and her's silhouette dancing to old-timey music.
While the message doesn't reveal what role she's going to play, it was heavily reported that Lady Gaga would be starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in the next Joker movie as Harley Quinn. The next Joker is also said to be a musical, which would suit her abilities as a singer.
Joker: Folie à Deux
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 4, 2022
10.04.24 pic.twitter.com/obp7T9lBFL
The next Joker movie will be called Folie A Deux and will be released on October 4, 2024. Director Todd Phillips has co-written the script for the sequel and will return as director, while Joaquin Phoenix will reprise his role as Arthur Fleck, aka Joker.
Despite the upheaval at Warner Bros. Discovery, including the cancellation of the completed Batgirl movie, the company is moving ahead with producing DC movies based on high-profile characters like the Joker. The movie and its sequel are also unrelated to Matt Reeves' Batman movie which is set in a different universe.
While Lady Gaga is best known for her music, she has made serious forays into acting including a lead role in 2018's A Star Is Born remake where she earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She was last seen in 2021's House of Gucci directed by Ridley Scott.
No word yet on plot details for Joker 2, but the subtitle Folie A Deux refers to a psychiatric affliction where two people suffer the same delusion at once, which has led to speculation that Harley Quinn will be in the sequel. Speculation that will only intensify with the new casting.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
(Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
Publisher Koch Media Changes Its Name Because People Didn’t Know How to Pronounce It
Publisher Koch Media is rebranding to Plaion because people couldn’t pronounce its old name.
During an interview with GamesIndustry.biz managing director Klemens Kundratitz unveiled the company’s new name, and explained why it’s stepping away from the old one.
“Our name for so many years was associated with physical distribution, perhaps with us being more of a central European company – although including the UK because that was among the first three countries where we launched,” he said. “But we're perhaps not seen as a global company. And it's sometimes difficult for some people to pronounce.”
Why the complete overhaul? Well, it started as a simple rebrand – modernizing the look of the company and its logo.
“But the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to go all the way,” he explained. “It's more impactful, it's got an external statement but it's also an internal statement to our people. We're opening this new chapter, they're part of this, we're a modern, growing, ambitious, global company, and it's energizing people internally.”
It’s thought that the new name is easier for people to pronounce… although I have to admit, I first read it as “ply-on” until it was later explained to be pronounced “play-on”. Conversely, it was the “ch” on Koch Media that gave so many people trouble.
"Obviously, we want to avoid people seeing this as window dressing,” he added. “The signal we're sending is that we're on a journey and it's good to give this journey a new name, new visual appearance. New is always exciting.”
Plaion, formerly Koch Media, is known for the likes of Dead Island, Metro, and Saints Row. Owned by the Embracer Group, it’s one of dozens of recent acquisitions by its parent company, recently entering into an agreement to purchase Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréa, and Square Enix Montréal.
“We have made such an enormous transformation since we joined the Embracer Group,” said Kundratitz. However, he was keen to emphasize that the company isn’t changing too much. “We're not mutating into a different company, we're just following a path that we've already been on since becoming part of Embracer Group.”
“We're growing in all areas,” he added. “It's certainly not a departure from physical distribution. Our mantra is we want to offer games wherever and however people want to play them: physical, digital, collector's editions. Whatever way people want to consume our content, we're there. We're long-term committed in the physical space, but equally, we need to reinvent ourselves all the time.”
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Publisher Koch Media Changes Its Name Because People Didn’t Know How to Pronounce It
Publisher Koch Media is rebranding to Plaion because people couldn’t pronounce its old name.
During an interview with GamesIndustry.biz managing director Klemens Kundratitz unveiled the company’s new name, and explained why it’s stepping away from the old one.
“Our name for so many years was associated with physical distribution, perhaps with us being more of a central European company – although including the UK because that was among the first three countries where we launched,” he said. “But we're perhaps not seen as a global company. And it's sometimes difficult for some people to pronounce.”
Why the complete overhaul? Well, it started as a simple rebrand – modernizing the look of the company and its logo.
“But the more we thought about it, the more we wanted to go all the way,” he explained. “It's more impactful, it's got an external statement but it's also an internal statement to our people. We're opening this new chapter, they're part of this, we're a modern, growing, ambitious, global company, and it's energizing people internally.”
It’s thought that the new name is easier for people to pronounce… although I have to admit, I first read it as “ply-on” until it was later explained to be pronounced “play-on”. Conversely, it was the “ch” on Koch Media that gave so many people trouble.
"Obviously, we want to avoid people seeing this as window dressing,” he added. “The signal we're sending is that we're on a journey and it's good to give this journey a new name, new visual appearance. New is always exciting.”
Plaion, formerly Koch Media, is known for the likes of Dead Island, Metro, and Saints Row. Owned by the Embracer Group, it’s one of dozens of recent acquisitions by its parent company, recently entering into an agreement to purchase Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montréa, and Square Enix Montréal.
“We have made such an enormous transformation since we joined the Embracer Group,” said Kundratitz. However, he was keen to emphasize that the company isn’t changing too much. “We're not mutating into a different company, we're just following a path that we've already been on since becoming part of Embracer Group.”
“We're growing in all areas,” he added. “It's certainly not a departure from physical distribution. Our mantra is we want to offer games wherever and however people want to play them: physical, digital, collector's editions. Whatever way people want to consume our content, we're there. We're long-term committed in the physical space, but equally, we need to reinvent ourselves all the time.”
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Tencent Reportedly Wants to Become Ubisoft’s Biggest Shareholder
Chinese gaming giant Tencent Holdings wants to buy more of Ubisoft, and even become its biggest single shareholder.
A new report from Reuters reveals that Tencent, the largest social network and gaming company in China, revealed the news. “Tencent Holdings Ltd plans to raise its stake in French video game group Ubisoft Entertainment SA as the Chinese gaming giant pivots to the global gaming market,” revealed independent sources.
Tencent acquired a 5% stake in Ubisoft back in 2018 after tensions between Ubisoft and investor Vivendi bubbled over, resulting in Vivendi selling all of its shares and agreeing not to purchase a stake in the company for at least five years.
Now, Tencent is looking to expand its reach and has reportedly reached out to the family of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot to express interest in increasing its stake in the company. At the moment, it’s unclear how much of Ubisoft that Tencent intends to purchase.
However, recent reports that Ubisoft was being targeted for acquisition could mean that the Chinese company intends to go big. Quite how big remains to be seen, but Ubisoft is currently valued at $5.3 billion while the Guillemot family owns a 15% stake in the business. That puts the Guillemot stake at around $795 million.
It’s said that Tencent could offer up to 100 euros per share to acquire its additional stake – a big step up from its previous purchase, in which it paid 66 euros per share. Additionally, sources confirmed that Tencent intends to acquire shares from public shareholders in order to become the largest stakeholder in the company. Ubisoft's share price surged 15% after the news was announced by Reuters.
Speaking on a recent earnings call, CEO Yves Guillemot said that Ubisoft was open to reviewing offers to buy the company, and neither confirmed nor denied it had been approached by potential buyers.
Acquiring developers has been a major strategy for expansion over the last few years, with the likes of PlayStation and Xbox adding developers to their portfolios.
Xbox’s purchase of Activision Blizzard set them back $68.7 billion and is set to be one of the biggest deals in the games industry. And with Sony’s purchase of Bungie, it’s easy to see why Chinese giants such as Tencent want to get in on the action.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
Apex Legends Season 14 “Hunted” Full Details on Vantage, Kings Canyon, and Weapon Changes
Apex Legends Season 14, Hunted, brings in some things old and some things new. Slated to drop August 9th next week, there’s a lot of anticipation building around the new content. The newest Legend, Vantage, is a sniper-focused character who enters the games on the newly altered Kings Canyon map. There are a lot of new changes coming to leveling, weapons, Legends, and more so here’s everything you need to know about Apex Season 14.
New Legend - Vantage
Season 14 introduces the youngest Legend Vantage who enters the Apex games as an 18 year old. She’s Cuban American and is a sniper-based Legend who is going to make all the sharpshooter players very happy.
- Passive: Spotter’s Lens
- Vantage can identify targets on the ground for herself and zoom in while unarmed and with no scopes
- Tactical: Echo Relocation
- Vantage throws out her bat friend in any direction she likes and can launch to where Echo is and double jump once she gets to where Echo is.
- The cooldown for her tactical is the actual jump itself, Echo can be thrown out in any direction at any time but Vantage cannot jump until the cooldown is reset.
- Echo can be canceled, or recalled, at any time.
- Ultimate: Sniper’s Mark
- Vantage has her own Sniper Rifle (like Rampart’s LMG Sheila) that will mark targets she hits
- Her Sniper Rifle will dish 50 damage but marked targets will take 100 damage from her rifle and Vantage’s teammates can deal additional damage when the target is marked as well.
- The mark on a target will only last 10 seconds and will not extend through walls or cover, it is strictly a line of sight mark.
- Vantage’s ultimate does not have to be fully charged for her to use it, unlike Rampart’s Sheila. Vantage’s sniper rifle can be used at any time as long as the ultimate charge has loaded enough bullets. The fully loaded Sniper Rifle will have five total bullets.
- Ultimate Accelerants will charge her ultimate 35% (which is about two bullets)
Vantage has movement abilities as well as long range sniper abilities so she is going to be an absolute menace with players who excel with snipers. She’s able to stay at distance and deal good amounts of damage while also being able to provide recon support for her team, but she can also get herself out of some sticky situations with Echo or push with her team using her movement abilities. It’ll be interesting to see how Vantage plays in ranked and competitive.
Kings Canyon is getting a major facelift in the Southwest corner where the infamous Skull Town used to exist. Between Salvage and Octane’s gauntlet now lives the new Skull Town replacement called Relic. It adds a mass where the map used to just be a giant gap between the two POIs, adding for more loot and rotations. The POI Cage has been reworked to be less of a high point for teams to bunker down in as its floors have been lowered and the outer caging has been taken away.
Broken Relay has added more buildings to its location and has been renamed Basin and the unnamed landmark between Containment leading to Capacitor has been opened up as well. Kings Canyon also implemented a new skybox to add vibrancy and clarity to the overall map. A few changes have been made to the map to increase the flow of the central rotation points as well. Kings Canyon’s loot pool has been adjusted to improve loot findings all across the map.
Season 14 will feature the map rotations Kings Canyon, World’s Edge, and Stormpoint with Ranked focusing on Kings Canyon for the first split and Stormpoint for the second.
And, speaking of loot, here are some major equipment changes in Season 14:
- The Gold Backpack will carry 6 more items and will feature a Deep Pockets bonus where you can carry stacks of three Shield Batteries and Medkits instead of two. Gold Backpack will no longer revive teammates with extra health or shields.
- The Gold Knockdown Shield will no longer include self-revive but will instead take the place of the previous Gold Backpack Guardian Angel bonus where you can revive squadmates with bonus shields and health.
Here are Season 14’s biggest Weapon changes as well:
- SMGS and Pistols will take a new Laser Sight barrel attachment that reduces hipfire spread. (Additionally, Assault Rifles will have a slight increase in hipfire spread)
- The Double Tap hop up is back and can be used on the EVA-8 and G7 Scout
- The Skullpiercer is back in rotation and can now be used on the 30-30 Repeater along with the Wingman and Longbow.
- The Wingman will now take Sniper Ammo and use Sniper Attachments and even with a gold mag, the ammo will only stack to 20.
- The Spitfire will now take Light Ammo and Light Attachments and with the gold mag, it will only hold stacks of 60.
- The Eva-8 has a slight buff to its fire rate and will be adding stocks to its attachment list.
- The 30-30 Repeater will automatically come with Dual Loader now and reload two shots at a time.
In addition to these weapon changes, the Volt SMG and G7 Scout are back on ground loot and the Bow and Rampage have been added to the Care Package weapon rotations.
New Level Cap
After years of players being capped out at level 500, there’s a new leveling system that allows players to level up to 2,000 times in Season 14. Think of this new system as a prestige system. Once you hit level 500, your level badge will alter with a gilded lining and your level will roll back to 1, indicating you’ve prestiged one round. You can do this up to four times and earn more free loot boxes with leveling further.
How do you feel about the new Kings Canyon map changes? Will you be unlocking Vantage to play her in the new season? Let us know! Apex Legends Season 14 is due to drop August 9th on Tuesday. For more Apex Legends updates, be sure to stay right here at IGN.
Stella is a Video Producer, Host, and Editor at IGN. Her gameplay focus is on competitive FPS games and she's previously reviewed Apex Legends, Hyper Scape, Halo Infinite Multiplayer, and Battlefield 2042. She regularly hosts and shoutcasts competitive Apex Legends and Halo Infinite tournaments when she isn't streaming on her Twitch channel after work outs. You can follow her on Twitter @ParallaxStella.
Gwendoline Christie Wants to Return as Captain Phasma in Star Wars
Gwendoline Christie has expressed enthusiasm for returning to play Captain Phasma in the Star Wars universe, saying she "would absolutely love" her chrome-covered character to make a comeback.
Speaking to Empire, Christie acknowledged there could be more to explore with the character outside of her live-action appearances in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, where she fell in battle against Finn. Phasma has made a couple of appearances elsewhere in the galaxy far, far away and has even had her own comic run, but that has only left Christie feeling like there may be some untapped potential there.
"I haven't read the comics but, I mean, it's Star Wars! I would absolutely love that," Christie said of any future opportunities to bring her character back, including adapting her comic run for the screen. "There was a template for a character that people got really excited about. It would be smashing if they felt that it was worthwhile to explore, along with some fabulous action."
Phasma getting knocked into a fiery pit in The Last Jedi certainly left a lot more room for interpretation than say, cutting a character in half, or watching them evaporate. If there's no body, the character can still be alive. At least, that was the logic that allowed Boba Fett to survive in the Expanded Universe and pop up again in the Disney+ series The Book of Boba Fett.
Even though it seems almost intentional that we haven't seen Phasma die, there has been no mention of bringing the tough veteran commander back for a Star Wars project that would allow Christie to don the helmet again. Phasma hasn't entirely left our screens, though. She appeared in 2018's Star Wars: Resistance series and this year's LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga video game.
"This is the next step for me," Christie joked about her character's inclusion in the LEGO Star Wars game, "because as a teenager I was quite obsessed with computer games, and I was quite good at them. I think it's time to revisit them because they could be everything I had initially wanted them to be. There are entire worlds out there [where] we can investigate our megalomania!"
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga had the best LEGO game launch in history, selling through 3.2 million copies in the first two weeks and surpassing sales records worldwide. The game features missions from all nine mainline Star Wars films with additional DLC packs from The Mandalorian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and more.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.
Life Is Strange Developers ‘Can’t Imagine’ Going Back to an Episodic Release Model
Life is Strange: True Colors was the first game in the series to be released as a full package – sidestepping the episodic release that the franchise was built on. Now, the developers can’t imagine going back.
During an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, senior narrative designer Philip Lawrence explained why the team wanted to try something new with the Life is Strange sequel, which was still separated into distinct chapters, but released as a single package.
“I can't imagine we'd go back to the episodic model,” said Lawrence. “The reaction has been very positive. I think we were careful to keep that episodic structure, because that does seem to appeal to players. That's all part of the DNA of Life is Strange. As you can imagine, it was a decision that was talked about and agonised over quite a bit, but I think on reflection it was the right decision.”
Life is Strange: True Colors was released in 2021, telling the story of Alex Chen – a girl who develops a supernatural ability for empathy. It was the first full Life Is Strange game from developer Deck Nine, who took on development duties from series creator Dontnod (after creating spin-off Life Is Strange: Before the Storm).
Although the game stepped away from episodic releases, it nevertheless retains the nature of TV storytelling, unveiling the plot in a structured way:
“It’s partly about player choice,” said Lawrence. “We were careful to structure a story around the five chapters, so that structurally it feels very in line with earlier Life Is Strange titles.”
Structured more like a limited series than a video game, Life is Strange: True Colors gives players the opportunity to binge the entire game or take it at their own pace. “So, if players want to step back, reflect and have those watercooler moments with the community, they can,” Lawrence added. “But for those who would be frustrated by the episodic release pattern, we save them from those frustrations.”
Think of it this way – Life is Strange: True Colors is more like a box set than a weekly episodic. Making it this way was apparently a freeing experience, with the structure of the story becoming secondary to the story itself. And that meant developers Deck Nine could concentrate on getting the plot right.
“I think from a creative point of view, it allowed us to concentrate on developing the story, getting the scripts into a great position, and then producing a game,” he explained. “So, we didn’t have that awkwardness of the episodic model where you’re rushing to production on the scripted content for the first episode and then moving on to the next one. Approaching it this way is a lot more coherent and organic, I think.”
Whether or not we find another Life is Strange game on its way remains to be seen. But even if there is, it looks as though it’s unlikely to return to the old episodic format.
Want to read more about Life is Strange? Check out our Life is Strange: True Colors walkthrough if you’re stuck and find out the locations of all the game’s collectibles.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.