Top 20 Best-selling Consoles

A

Archaic101

Member
No new info here, just an interesting visual. "Atari" refers just to the 2600, as if there was any doubt.


Also interesting to note that, at about 24 million units sold, the original Xbox isn't in the Top 20 best selling consoles...yet still sold 3ish million more than the GameCube.

Ca4D6eV.jpeg
 
This feels like strange way to present a top 20, and a aggregate of the sales. Why not include all systems if you're going to present it in this way?
 
Big N out here pulling numbers. 💪

Wait… where's the Wii U? Hold on, lemme just grab my magnifying glass…
 
Pretty much all the figures are wrong, and displayed in a terrible fashion, please delete everything related to this OP

Nintendo:
- NES: 61 million
- Super NED: 49 million
- Nintendo 64: 32 million
- GameBoy/Color: 118 million
- GameCube: 21 million
- GameBoy Advance: 80 million
- Wii: 101 million
- DS/i: 154 million
- Wii U: 13.5 million
- 3DS: 75 million
- Switch 150 million (so far)

Sony:
- PlayStation: 102.5 million
- PlayStation 2: 160 million
- PSP: 80 million
- PlayStation 3: 87 million
- PS Vita: 15 million
- PlayStation 4: 117 million
- PlayStation 5: 75 million (so far)

Microsoft:
- Xbox: 24 million
- Xbox 360: 86 million
- Xbox One: 58 million
- Xbox Series S/X: 31 million (so far)
 
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Unknown? said:
This isn't correct. PS2 is 160 million and PS3 didn't do 101 million. Also why are there handhelds here? I thought this was consoles.
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Handhelds are consoles, wtf lol it's not like they're PCs or Macs. They're just handheld, do you really think there there's any difference between the NES and Gameboy other than 1 runs in battery and can fit in your hands? The proper term to differentiate the NES is the term home console.
 
Not entirely accurate.

However it does perfectly illustrate the dominance of Nintendo and Sony throughout console history.

The tiny green shows just why many think Microsoft is the new Sega (minus the charm).
 
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Gameplay Gods Bless said:
Handhelds are consoles, wtf lol it's not like they're PCs or Macs. They're just handheld, do you really think there there's any difference between the NES and Gameboy other than 1 runs in battery and can fit in your hands? The proper term to differentiate the NES is the term home console.
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Its a different demographic, that's why they've always been separated.
 
There are some plainly wrong figures in that chart...

Anyway

sH356cC.jpeg

A curiosity:
As March 1995 (PS1 was launched in December 1994 in Japan) NES + GB + SNES had sold in total 141.49 million units therefore since the introduction of the PlayStation brand of consoles Nintendo has sold around 100 million dedicated video game systems more than what Sony did in the same timeframe.

* Note:
I considered only standalone consoles with interchangeable software (devices like Color TV Game, Game & Watch, Nintendo plug & play retro consoles, PlayStation Classic, PocketStation and add-ons in general were excluded; also eduteintment systems like Sega Pico were excluded).
 
Where are these numbers coming from? The totals for Game Boy, PS3, 3DS, PS2, NES, and SNES are all wrong. I can't really trust this chart if it got basic information wrong.
 
Killjoy-NL said:
Handhelds =/= consoles though.

Should call it gaming devices then.
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So you're saying that Steam Deck isn't a portable PC, it's a "gaming device" right?

I'm good with it, believe it or not, you are giving to Nintendo with this, not taking away.

Not only WILL Switch 1 become the greatest selling gaming device of all time, but the steam deck is in fucking virtual boy territory.

Are laptops gaming devices or computers? I'm gonna mine this for all its worth my friend. I need to know because I'm going straight to the PC fanboys with my new toy and we are gonna have a conversation.
 
Zacfoldor said:
So you're saying that Steam Deck isn't a portable PC, it's a "gaming device" right?

I'm good with it, believe it or not, you are giving to Nintendo with this, not taking away.

Not only WILL Switch 1 become the greatest selling gaming device of all time, but the steam deck is in fucking virtual boy territory.

Are laptops gaming devices or computers? I'm gonna mine this for all its worth my friend. I need to know because I'm going straight to the PC fanboys with my new toy and we are gonna have a conversation.
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Do you consider handhelds to be consoles?

Afaik there has always been a clear distinction, until Nintendo released the Switch, which is a hybrid.

Edit:

As for Steam Deck, I'd consider it a handheld.

PC as a platform/device is a whole different matter.
 
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Killjoy-NL said:
Do you consider handhelds to be consoles?

Afaik there has always been a clear distinction, until Nintendo released the Switch, which is a hybrid.

Edit:

As for Steam Deck, I'd consider it a handheld.

PC as a platform/device is a whole different matter.
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Switch is a handheld. PSP can also connect to a separate screen.

Switch sales include many millions of "Switch Lite" model which is a handheld.

If anyone wants to call the Switch a console and compare it like for like against a home console like say PS2, ok fine, but subtract all the millions units sold by the SW Lite.
 
Killjoy-NL said:
Do you consider handhelds to be consoles?
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I'd say all console handhelds are consoles, but not all consoles are handhelds. Consoles describe both, while home console and handheld console can be used to be more specific. Just like laptops are PC's, but not all PCs are laptops. The Switch, being a hybrid device, is both a handheld and a home console. While a Steam Deck is simply a portable PC.
 
Archaic101 said:
No new info here, just an interesting visual. "Atari" refers just to the 2600, as if there was any doubt.


Also interesting to note that, at about 24 million units sold, the original Xbox isn't in the Top 20 best selling consoles...yet still sold 3ish million more than the GameCube.

Ca4D6eV.jpeg
Click to expand...
According to Sony PS2 sold 160m, they announced in 2011 that they sold 150m so i don't know how did they managed to sell 10 more between 2011 and 2024 but they did.
 
QLQ said:
Switch is a handheld. PSP can also connect to a separate screen.

Switch sales include many millions of "Switch Lite" model which is a handheld.

If anyone wants to call the Switch a console and compare it like for like against a home console like say PS2, ok fine, but subtract all the millions units sold by the SW Lite.
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Zathalus said:
I'd say all console handhelds are consoles, but not all consoles are handhelds. Consoles describe both, while home console and handheld console can be used to be more specific. Just like laptops are PC's, but not all PCs are laptops. The Switch, being a hybrid device, is both a handheld and a home console. While a Steam Deck is simply a portable PC.
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In my 30+ years of gaming, I've seen very few people make the statements you two make.

But, ultimately it's semantics. While not all numbers in OP are correct, it does show how dominant both Playstation and Nintendo are, each in their own regard.

It also shows how insignificant the rest are.
 
Zacfoldor said:
So you're saying that Steam Deck isn't a portable PC, it's a "gaming device" right?
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Is a Laptop a Gaming Device?
If not, why is a Steam Deck one?
You can do the same with both, including "work related stuff" (office and so on).
For me aren't handhelds the same like consoles.
You can play games on consoles and handhelds, but that's all.
The concept of a handheld is the mobility and of a console the best hardware, a big screen and surround sound.
Take for example the GBA Player for the Cube or the PSP and the ability to connect the handheld with a TV.

The Switch is a hybrid and for me not a real console.
Even if the Switch will sell more than the PS2, will remain the Playstation 2 the best selling console.
When we talk about gaming device, do we have to talk about PCs as well?
Are smartphones gaming devices too? I would say yes. Tablets? Sure.
You can purchase tablets without a SIM slot, only for gaming, multimedia etc.
 
Ramiro_Rodriguez said:
Is a Laptop a Gaming Device?
If not, why is a Steam Deck one?
You can do the same with both, including "work related stuff" (office and so on).
For me aren't handhelds the same like consoles.
You can play games on consoles and handhelds, but that's all.
The concept of a handheld is the mobility and of a console the best hardware, a big screen and surround sound.
Take for example the GBA Player for the Cube or the PSP and the ability to connect the handheld with a TV.

The Switch is a hybrid and for me not a real console.
Even if the Switch will sell more than the PS2, will remain the Playstation 2 the best selling console.
When we talk about gaming device, do we have to talk about PCs as well?
Are smartphones gaming devices too? I would say yes. Tablets? Sure.
You can purchase tablets without a SIM slot, only for gaming, multimedia etc.
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My dude. "Handheld" is an adjective, not a substantive. Something is handheld or not handheld.
 
Looks like it is about time Sony "finds" another 8 million PS2 sales

also: lol @ vita not even being on the chart
 
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Ramiro_Rodriguez said:
And how "easily" MS could defeat Sony.
But they fumbled hard with the Xbox One.
I'm with you, that Nintendo (handhelds) and Sony (consoles) are the dominant leaders.
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Eh, I would've buy a Series X if they had the games.

I almost did with Starfield, but then I saw what Skyrim in space actually means
 
Hero_Select said:
That's not how it works.

Switch is going to surpass PS2 in sales, just let it go. lol. It's okay.
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Home consoles are not equal to handhelds. I'm sorry if you think otherwise, they are not the same, they are not engineered the same, they are not marketed the same. They are both gaming devices, but the distinction must be made. There will always be an asterisk next to Switch total sales because it sold as a pure handheld (Lite model).
 
QLQ said:
Home consoles are not equal to handhelds. I'm sorry if you think otherwise, they are not the same, they are not engineered the same, they are not marketed the same. They are both gaming devices, but the distinction must be made. There will always be an asterisk next to Switch total sales because it sold as a pure handheld (Lite model).
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Do we put an asterisk against PS2 for being a dvd player?
 
QLQ said:
Home consoles are not equal to handhelds. I'm sorry if you think otherwise, they are not the same, they are not engineered the same, they are not marketed the same. They are both gaming devices, but the distinction must be made. There will always be an asterisk next to Switch total sales because it sold as a pure handheld (Lite model).
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Should the PS2 not also have an asterisk because its sales numbers were inflated by the fact that it was a cost effective DVD player?
The distinction between the PS2 and the Switch is that of the two systems, only one of them can claim to have been selling exclusively as a gaming device.
 
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m14 said:
Nintendo's dominance is really quite something.
Sony should never have survived the PS3 era.
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Only because of handhelds. Going head to head with PlayStation on home consoles, they got destroyed almost every time.

And PS3 outsold the 360. Why do we act like it was a Wii U-level flop?
 
Ogbert said:
Do we put an asterisk against PS2 for being a dvd player?
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Go ahead. Let's also put one on every console that was able to play music CDs for being music players, dvd players, blu-ray players, media players...you think it's the same as being a whole different form factor? Laughable but not in a funny way.
 
QLQ said:
Go ahead. Let's also put one on every console that was able to play music CDs for being music players, dvd players, blu-ray players, media players...you think it's the same as being a whole different form factor? Laughable but not in a funny way.
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I wouldn't put an asterisk against any numbers.

I think form factor is irrelevant.

Making distinctions is just cope.
 
m14 said:
Should the PS2 not also have an asterisk because its sales numbers were inflated by the fact that it was a cost effective DVD player?
The distinction between the PS2 and the Switch is that of the two systems, only one of them can claim to have been selling exclusively as a gaming device.
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PS2 was never only a DVD player. Switch Lite is in fact only a handheld. Go ahead and put your asterisks on all consoles with music-dvd-media capabilities. Hell, people bought lots of Xbox 360s and PS3s to watch Netflix Lmao
 
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