The Nintendo Switch continues its meteoric sales trajectory, now nearing the 150 million units sold milestone globally. According to Nintendo’s latest quarterly report, Switch sales reached 139.36 million as of Q4 2023. This puts the hybrid console within striking distance of the Nintendo DS for second place among all-time best-selling gaming systems.
At its current pace, the Switch seems poised to surpass the DS’s 154 million units sold in the coming year. The only system above that is Sony’s PlayStation 2 at 155 million units. For a console not even 7 years old yet, the Switch passing that threshold would be mightily impressive.
Driving this enduring sales dominance is Nintendo’s unwavering commitment to the Switch platform. President Shuntaro Furukawa reiterated the Switch remains Nintendo’s primary focus through at least March 2024. Only then will the company shift attention to a successor system, prospectively called the Switch 2.
For the current fiscal year, Nintendo estimates another 15.5 million Switch units will ship globally. In Japan specifically, the Switch has already exceeded DS lifetime sales, cementing its status as the country’s best-selling console ever.
Given its phenomenal software sales and lengthy reign atop sales charts, the Switch is on the precipice of making console history. Passing the DS and possibly challenging the PlayStation 2 once seemed inconceivable. But never underestimate Nintendo magic – the Switch may still have some surprises in store.
