Nintendo Switch Is Now The Third Best-Selling Console Of All Time

Almost six years after it first launched, the Nintendo Switch is now the third best-selling console of all time. According to Nintendo’s financial results for the previous nine months, ending on December 31, 2022, the Switch sold another 14.91 million units across its three base, Lite, and OLED models.

This brings the grand total of Switch sales worldwide up to 122.55 million–up from 114.3 million consoles sold as of September 30, 2022–surpassing the lifetime sales of the PlayStation 4 (117.2 million units sold) and Nintendo’s first handheld, the Game Boy (118.69 million units sold for both the Game Boy and the Game Boy Color). In comparison, the Nintendo 3DS has lifetime sales of 75.94 million units, while the Wii U only managed 13.54 million units sold.

The next milestone for the Switch to aim for is the Nintendo DS family of consoles, which holds second place with 154 million units sold, and the PlayStation 2 which sold 158.7 million consoles across its lifetime. That number might be hard to reach in 2023, as Nintendo has adjusted its forecast following holiday season sales that did not live up to company expectations.

Nintendo is estimating that it’ll sell 18 million Switch consoles, down from its estimate of 19 million, during its 2023 fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2023. If it hits that sales number, that’ll increase the Switch global sales to over 125.6 million.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is expected to see a huge boost in Switch sales when the game releases in May, and this week will see a Nintendo Direct livestream that’ll contain “roughly 40 minutes” of news focused on Switch games launching in the first half of 2023.