Although Nintendo has launched its next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, this does not stop its predecessor from making history.
Nintendo earlier announced its budget, which ends on December 31, 2025.Third quarter financial results for fiscal year 2026The report shows that the original Nintendo Switch has sold a cumulative total of 155.37 million units worldwide. This means that the Nintendo Switch has officially surpassed the record of the legendary handheld Nintendo DS (approximately 1.54 million units) to become the best-selling game console in Nintendo's history.
Meanwhile, the sales momentum of the next-generation console Nintendo Switch 2 is even more astonishing, with Nintendo officially describing its strong performance as "the fastest-selling console in history".
Just one step away from the PS2! The Nintendo Switch aims for the title of "best-selling device of all time".
Despite the market focus shifting largely to new consoles, the original Nintendo Switch, with its rich game lineup and relatively low price, still sold 136 million units in the recently concluded third quarter (October-December 2025). This long-tail effect allowed it to successfully overcome the limitations of the NDS.
Now, only one competitor stands in the way of the Nintendo Switch: the Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2). The Nintendo Switch is currently only 463 million units away from the PlayStation 2's record for the "best-selling game console of all time" (approximately 1.6 million units). At the current sales rate, although it might take another year or even longer, if Nintendo maintains its entry-level positioning strategy, it's not impossible for the Nintendo Switch to reach the top spot as the "world's number one."
The Nintendo Switch 2 has exceeded sales expectations, earning the title of "fastest-selling console".
In addition to the record-breaking sales of older models, the performance of the new Nintendo Switch 2 was even more impressive. Financial reports show that the Nintendo Switch 2 sold 701 million units during the holiday season in the third quarter, bringing its cumulative sales since its release to 1737 million units.
由於買氣超出預期，任天堂預估在截至今年3月31日的2026會計年度結束前，Nintendo Switch 2將能輕鬆達成、甚至超越原訂的1900萬台年度銷售目標。
Mario Kart World sold 1400 million copies
On the software side, the launch titles for the Nintendo Switch 2 performed remarkably well, once again proving the ironclad rule that "software drives hardware":
• Mario Kart World:With sales exceeding 1403 million units, Mario Kart remains the strongest driver of hardware sales.
• Donkey Kong Bananza:Sales reached 425 million units.
• Pokémon Legends: ZAThe Nintendo Switch 2 sold 389 million units.
Looking ahead, Nintendo will release Mario Tennis Fever on February 12, and Pokémon Pokopia, developed by Koei Tecmo's Omega Force, will be released in March, which is expected to further boost the adoption rate of the Nintendo Switch 2.
