This article discusses some of the best-selling consoles of all time. The video game industry is prosperous, with some home consoles selling millions of units globally.
How well each console sold is a good indicator of what went correctly during that generation. It’s an excellent way to see what gamers like and whether a console has gimmicky features or ideas that stick.
Innovators are flourishing in the video game industry. Since the debut of the first console, the Magnavox Odyssey, in 1972, the market has been growing.
Previously, consoles were bulky devices that resided beneath your TV and were exclusively used for playing video games; they lacked a disc drive and streaming capabilities.
They are now stylish devices that play games, stream Netflix and Hulu content, and perch above your television. Furthermore, the last two decades have seen significant advancements in console technology.
The list includes the video game consoles that have sold the most units worldwide and the most units in each generation and geographic area.
We’ve seen some amazing systems over the years. Gaming systems, such as the PlayStation, Wii, and others, have completely changed how consumers play their favorite games.
Today’s technology allows you to stream your favorite games to your TV instantly! I’m eager to see what the game industry will bring us next.
This is just one more illustration of how quickly our world is changing and how things are constantly changing around us.
Here are some of the best-selling consoles of all time around the world.
1. PlayStation 2- (157 Million Units)
Undoubtedly, the PS2 was the best-selling console of all time. We could only envisage another scenario matching its sales figures for a short time.
With over 3,500 published titles available, the PS2 was one of the cheapest DVD players of its time. With so many options, gaming was wonderful, and the PS2 was a huge success worldwide.
Whatever you required was available, such as Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 3, God of War, Final Fantasy X, or Gran Turismo 4.
Sony took more than ten years to design, create, and release the PS2, but it was well worth the wait. The PS2 improved upon the strengths of the first console while eradicating its flaws.
Many of the most well-known and cherished video game franchises got their start on the platform. The PS2 is recognizable and has maintained its place in gamers’ hearts despite shifting eras and fashions. Playing remastered games or sequels is the easiest way to feel happy and nostalgic.
2. Nintendo DS- (154 Million Units)
The Nintendo DS, the all-time best-selling handheld console, elevated Nintendo’s line of portable gaming devices by paying homage to certain Game & Watch models’ vintage dual-screen designs.
With its two-screen design and focus on touch controls, this console could connect with customers in a way that no other console could, selling more than 150 units in its lifetime.
However, throughout its seven-year existence, the Nintendo DS had numerous upgrades. The DS light and DS XL models would continue to dominate the market and later pave the way for the Nintendo 3DS in 2011, even though the first model needed to be more well-regarded.
3. Nintendo GameBoy/GameBoy Color- (119 Million Units)
Although there were technically portable gaming devices available before the GameBoy, Nintendo’s first handheld system that supported swappable cartridges was a huge success and contributed to the expansion of a market that the company had helped to establish with its Game & Watch series.
With well over 110 million units sold and theoretically remaining in production until 2003, the GameBoy dominated the handheld gaming market largely because of classic titles like Super Mario Land and Tetris.
Furthermore, the GameBoy Color would extend its life, and Nintendo would introduce a total replacement in 2001, twelve years after the system’s initial introduction. This is one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
4. PlayStation 4- (117 Million Units)
With the PS4, Sony started on the right foot, and this is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The messaging was clear, the price was reasonable, and the games were (and still are) tremendous from the very beginning of their life cycle in 2013.
With a stronger emphasis on online fidelity and its user experience, it built on the concepts introduced with the PS3, expanding upon them.
With titles like Bloodborne, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Persona 5, Uncharted 4, and Horizon Zero Dawn enthralling audiences around the world, it has arguably one of the strongest game lineups in history.
5. Nintendo Switch- (107 Million Units)
The Switch can be used as a handheld console, but we’re counting it as a home console because it’s the one that Nintendo is currently focusing on.
It’s a unique system, too. Also, it’s one of the unique consoles in history, allowing its audience to take it on the go, play the game at home, or play in tabletop mode with friends.
However, not only has it surpassed the sales of many consoles like the Xbox One, SNES, and many others but it’s done so in record time.
Also, according to Nintendo, the games console for the Switch will continue to release for many years to come, so it has the potential to outsell the famous PS4 worldwide.
This is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. Furthermore, the Switch has sold somewhere about 107 million units as of right now.
It is simple to understand why it has succeeded with outstanding experiences like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and even several third-party games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
6. PlayStation- (102 Million Units)
If you can believe it, the PlayStation as we know it today nearly never existed. At the time, negotiations to work together on the 64-bit console generation were taking on between Nintendo and PlayStation. You probably already guessed that it never happened.
We’re so happy that it didn’t. Many of us grew up with the PlayStation, which Sony created independently. It included various well-known games, including Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Tekken, and Crash Bandicoot.
Furthermore, one of the first systems that used discs offered customers the ability to play music from CDs, which probably helped it sell over 102 million units. This is one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
7. Nintendo Wii- (101 Million Units)
The Wii is unlike anything that has come before it. Grandma could use that system. It was completely sold out everywhere for the first year or two after its release since everyone wanted one.
The system still offered a few titles for “core” players, despite its concentration on casual experiences like Wii Sports and Wii Fit and its more broad audience.
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are still remembered warmly, while the Super Mario Galaxy games are still regarded as some of the best of all time.
Whatever your opinion of the gimmicky motion controls, there’s no denying that the Wii was a monster that sold more than 101 million units.
8. PlayStation 3- (87 Million Units)
Similar to the Xbox One, the PS3 had a difficult beginning. It could have been a better idea to advise your audience to obtain a second job to purchase a $600 console, yet Sony was able to turn things around and outsell the Xbox 360.
Although the PS3 had some brilliant concepts, games continued to be the platform that appealed to its audience.
The console promoted independent games like Journey, Hotline Miami, and Guacamelee at its height! ‘s audience a reason to purchase the console with the help of its AAA experiences like the Uncharted trilogy, Metal Gear Solid 4, God of War 3, Gran Turismo 5, and The Last of Us.
Despite having some drawbacks, the PS3 is a significant milestone in the history of video games, and it’s one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
9. Xbox 360- (85 Million Units)
Like the NES and SNES did before, the Xbox 360 completely changed how we play video games. It helped HD visuals gain popularity by giving customers breathtaking experiences that are still impressive today.
Although prior consoles had online capabilities, the Xbox 360 significantly increased the popularity of online console gaming.
But what makes this system shine are the games. Some notable games on this system are Gears of War, Halo 3, Grand Theft Auto IV, Fallout 3, BioShock, and Mass Effect.
Furthermore, Microsoft made a fortune with the Xbox 360, especially considering how poorly the original Xbox sold. By April 2022, there had been almost 85 million units sold.
10. GameBoy Advance- (81 Million Units)
The original GameBoy was a hugely popular device, but by the late 1990s, the dated technology needed help keeping up with the times.
The GameBoy would get a correct update once the GameBoy Advance was released in 2001, despite Nintendo having already issued a pseudo-upgrade in the shape of the GameBoy Color.
Furthermore, the GameBoy Advance, with power roughly comparable to the SNES, was a haven for sidescrolling action games and became the platform for numerous iconic Mario & Luigi, Castlevania, and Pokémon games.
A few significant changes were also made to the system, the best of which were a backlight and a practical clamshell design.
11. PlayStation Portable- (80 Million Units)
With its popular GameBoy console line, Nintendo had long enjoyed a monopoly on the handheld gaming market. Still, Sony made an effort to buck that pattern with the introduction of the PlayStation portable.
The PlayStation Portable was a great system that featured must-have games in the God of War, Uncharted, and Killzone genres. It offered graphics that, at the time, were practically on par with home console quality.
Although the PlayStation Portable’s successor, the PS Vita, wouldn’t be nearly as well-liked in North America, it is still regarded as one of the best portable gaming systems ever made.
It is estimated to have sold about 80 million units throughout its existence. This is one of the best-selling consoles of all time.
12. Nintendo 3DS- (75 Million Units)
The Nintendo DS was a massive success for Nintendo, but when its successor debuted in 2011, sales could have been stronger.
Fortunately, the handheld recovered thanks to a price reduction and the release of several must-have video games like the famous Mario Kart 7 and the Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. The video game went on to sell more than 75 million units.
Furthermore, the Nintendo 3Ds was initially advertised as a groundbreaking new system with glasses-free 3D effects, but later iterations completely removed that feature.
It underwent several significant revisions, most notably the Nintendo 2DS and 2DS XL, which made it a widely used and exceptionally approachable system.
13. Nintendo Entertainment System – (61 million)
Without the NES, video games would not be what they are today. NES is one of the best-selling video game console games of all time.
At the time, it changed the idea of video games and provided consumers with a way to enjoy arcade-like home experiences.
Although there were home consoles before this, this device made them famous by allowing people to play games at home on a budget.
Many of the iconic titles we still like today, including Zelda, Mario, Metroid, and Mega Man, got their start with this.
Although other consoles eventually outsold it, its influence is still felt today, more than 35 years after it first appeared. This is one of the best-selling game consoles of all time.
14. Xbox One- (51 Million Units)
It might surprise you that Microsoft has succeeded with the Xbox One despite “losing” the prior generation.
The Xbox One, one of the best-selling consoles of all time, turned things around despite having a bad start following the system’s unveiling in 2013, thanks to its many user-friendly features like Xbox Game Pass, Play Anywhere, and Games with Gold.
Microsoft has yet to make the system’s exact sales data publicly available, although it is believed that 50.56 million units have been sold since the system’s debut seven years ago.
15. Super Nintendo Entertainment System -(49 Million Units)
The SNES, a console that offered some of the most adored games ever, has a particular spot in the hearts of many gamers.
Some of the titles you may recall include Super Mario Kart, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Metroid, and Super Mario World.
It improved on most of what the original NES did well and gave its audience thrilling 16-bit experiences. We owe a lot to what this system accomplished in 1991, although its sales could have been stronger than those of the NES.
