Nintendo Switch lifetime sales reach just shy of Nintendo DS numbers

The Nintendo Switch is the most successful console of this generation, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down yet. According to official Nintendo hardware reports, their popular hybrid console has now sold 153.4 million units worldwide. This is just shy of their best-selling console of all time, the Nintendo DS handheld.

This means it could soon dethrone the popular 2004 handheld and take the crown among Nintendo's hardware launches, sitting at second place just beneath the universally beloved PlayStation 2 (PS2).

Nintendo Switch could soon surpass the Nintendo DS in sales

The Nintendo Switch was a unique idea that took off like never before, and the sales are proof (Image via Nintendo)

The Nintendo DS, known for countless all-time-greats like Pokemon Black/White, Animal Crossing: Wild World, and Mario Kart DS, sits at 154.02 million units sold, meaning the Switch only has to sell a little over half a million more consoles to surpass it. While the successor Nintendo Switch 2 is all the rage right now, the original Switch is still getting new games.

As showcased in the latest Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase for July 2025, many exciting releases like Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO, Pacman World 2 Re-Pac, and more third-party games are in the works for the Switch. That's without even factoring in major first-party heavy hitters still on the horizon, like the sci-fi FPS adventure game Metroid Prime 4.

In other words, it is still quite possible for the system's sales to cross the one million threshold to finally put it ahead of the Nintendo DS and in direct competition against the reigning champion, the PS2. That said, the iconic Sony home console from 2000 has sold 160 million units to date, so even if the Nintendo Switch sells more than the DS, it has about six million more units to go to reach that mark.

As such, it is likely the PS2 will not be surpassed, especially with the original Switch standing on its last legs in terms of third-party support and potential sales. With the successor hybrid console at 5.82 million units sold as of writing, it's unlikely that the Switch 2 will come close to its predecessor's sales, much less the PS2.

All things considered, however, the Nintendo Switch has had an amazing run so far, well beyond what its competitors, both present and past, could achieve. With games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Super Mario Odyssey, and many more, it has an unrivaled library of games, all playable at home or on the go.

Now, all eyes are on the Nintendo Switch 2, and it remains to be seen how much of an impression its legacy leaves behind in the future in comparison to its predecessor.

Also Read: All announcements from Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025

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Edited by Adarsh J Kumar