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[ManaByte]

It’s official: No Nintendo console has lasted as long as Switch without being replaced | VGC

It’s now been nearly 2,700…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Since its worldwide launch on March 3, 2017, 2,687 days have passed without the arrival of a successor console, meaning Switch’s lifespan has officially beaten Nintendo’s previous longest-lasting console, the Famicom (2,686 days).

Next up: the PS2 sales record.

 

[Artistic]

History in the making.

 

[Banjo64]

Fitting for the greatest ever console.

What will be even sweater is when it eventually outsells the $99 PS2 with no price drops.

 

[begotten]

It's pretty much impossible for it to not beat the PS2 record. It'll end like 10-20M ahead of it.

8+ years on the market by the time the new console comes out, and the new console isn't going to halt Switch sales.

 

[jufonuk]

How far off is the switch from dethroning the PS2?

 

[yurinka]

Game Boy was released April 21, 1989 in Japan. It got discontinued in March 31, 2003.

That's 14 years. Over 5,000 days (vs 2,687 of the Switch).

 

[Magic Carpet]

The Switch died on 2/16/2024.
That was the day Mario vs Donkey Kong released. My final Switch buy.

 

[ManaByte]

Not true, Game Boy was released April 21, 1989 in Japan. It got discontinued in March 31, 2003.

That's 14 years.

"No Nintendo console"

 

[Danjin44]

Now watch how some people get triggered by the fact "underpower" system is actually doing well.

 

[Gaiff]

Not true, Game Boy was released April 21, 1989 in Japan. It got discontinued in March 31, 2003.

That's 14 years.

It says replaced. The GBA was released in 2001. The Game Boy was still going but its successor had already arrived.

"No Nintendo console"

See above.

 

[yurinka]

"No Nintendo console"

Game Boy is a portable console. Like Switch, and unlike the NES.

 

[yurinka]

It says replaced. The GBA was released in 2001. The Game Boy was still going but its successor had already arrived.

True, I see it. GB was discontinued over 5000+ days after launch, not 4000+.

 

[ManaByte]

How far off is the switch from dethroning the PS2?

19 million as of May.

Likely will pass it by the end of the year if not by the time the Switch 2 releases.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Now watch how some people get triggered by the fact "underpower" system is actually doing well.

I'm happy about this

 

[Gaiff]

19 million as of May.

Likely will pass it by the end of the year if not by the time the Switch 2 releases.

You mean 15 million. The PS2’s last official number is 155 million.

 

[Majukun]

damn i'm getting old...it feels like the switch just got announced

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

There's also this cool graph from OP's article for a better visualization:

 

[Mownoc]

Highlights how crazy PS2 and DS were. They were replaced years earlier than the Switch and both Nintendo and Sony were supporting another system at the same time.

 

[ReBurn]

I think Switch is a pretty cool guy. Eh breaks records and doesn't afraid of anything.

 

[FoxMcChief]

 

[TGO]

If you keep producing something it'll continue to sell without an alternative.
Not sure what the surprise is.
The goal is first to [insert number], not celebrate because you've finally reached what the competition passed years ago and you decide to keep running on your own.

 

[Gaiff]

If you keep producing something it'll continue to sell without an alternative.

That worked out beautifully for the Wii U.

 

[nial]

It says replaced. The GBA was released in 2001. The Game Boy was still going but its successor had already arrived.

That's still much longer than the Switch's lifespan thus far.

 

[Gaiff]

That's still much longer than the Switch's lifespan thus far.

You also had the GBC.

 

[TGO]

That worked out beautifully for the Wii U.

I forgot to say "if it's good"

 

[BouncyFrag]

Except for my joycons.

 

[nial]

You also had the GBC.

9 years and 6 months later, which means that Game Boy will remain king forever.

 

[graywolf323]

You also had the GBC.

yeah but the GBC was basically like the Switch Mini or Switch OLED

 

[Gaiff]

yeah but the GBC was basically like the Switch Mini or Switch OLED

No, the GBC has around 400 exclusive games.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

It's really kind of cruel when you think about it.

 

[Ribi]

"lifespan" mine and I know others have been gathering dust for years now

 

[Hudo]

If that PS2 record is also counting PS2 Slims sold, then the number is bullshit. PS2 Slim is fucking useless since you can't even play FF11 on it. It's more like a gimmick than a real console. PS2 fat is where it's at.

 

[E-Cat]

There's also this cool graph from OP's article for a better visualization:

"Nintendo Color TV-Game"?? WTF, I'd never heard of a Nintendo console before the NES. And I'm old, too.

 

[Dacvak]

Fitting for the greatest ever console.

What will be even sweater is when it eventually outsells the $99 PS2 with no price drops.

Damn I didn’t even think about that. It really might outsell the PS2 without even a single price drop. That’s actually insane.

I bet more individual people have the Switch than PS2 already. This is anecdotal, but most of my friends bought a PS2 Slim when the drive on their original failed. It wouldn’t surprise me if a huge number of PS2 sales were duplicates.

 

[amigastar]

I just hope Nintendo will present the Switch 2 at some point near in the future with games.

 

[Dacvak]

"Nintendo Color TV-Game"?? WTF, I'd never heard of a Nintendo console before the NES. And I'm old, too.

I’m not even sure that counts, cause they released 5 different “consoles” that each had a different game through that time iirc.

Anyway, it was this thing. Each console had one game, and it was like Pong and Breakout and shit.

 

[Wooxsvan]

it's crazy how long they made that tegra chip last

 

[Muffdraul]

Game Boy is a portable console. Like Switch, and unlike the NES.

Oh boy, term quibbling my favorite.

Technical definitions aside, it's long since been established shorthand lingo that there are consoles which you connect to your TV, and there are handhelds which have their own screen and are portable.

The Switch is a hybrid of both. In my subjective view, I loath handheld gaming (pretty much always did, but especially as I get older and my near-sight vision gets worse) it's a console that can be played in an inferior handheld mode by weirdos, if they want to.

 

[Loomy]

If that PS2 record is also counting PS2 Slims sold, then the number is bullshit. PS2 Slim is fucking useless since you can't even play FF11 on it. It's more like a gimmick than a real console. PS2 fat is where it's at.

lol, that's a silly comment. You could play 99% of PS2 games without HDD.

 

[Astral Dog]

You don't need Switch succesor when Emio is approaching

 

[64bitmodels]

honestly at this point what's the point of a Switch successor? I see this thing going for another 6 years. No point in stopping the train

 

[diffusionx]

Game Boy was released April 21, 1989 in Japan. It got discontinued in March 31, 2003.

That's 14 years. Over 5,000 days (vs 2,687 of the Switch).

Game Boy was replaced twice, though.

Assuming Switch 2 launches next year, Switch won't be discontinued for another 3-4 years. That's still less time.

 

[IDKFA]

Damn I didn’t even think about that. It really might outsell the PS2 without even a single price drop. That’s actually insane.

Although it hasn't had any price drop, Nintendo did release the cheaper Switch Lite, which has been very popular.

I know many people who picked up the lite as a cheap way to access the Switch library.

 

[Futaleufu]

It says replaced. The GBA was released in 2001. The Game Boy was still going but its successor had already arrived.

Not to mention the Gameboy Color isnt just the same with color, it has better hardware.

 

[BlackTron]

Although it hasn't had any price drop, Nintendo did release the cheaper Switch Lite, which has been very popular.

I know many people who picked up the lite as a cheap way to access the Switch library.

How I wish it had TV out. Switch is too big to be a really effective portable. But the lite doesn't Switch which is just too massive a tradeoff. Oh well.

 

[64bitmodels]

Damn I didn’t even think about that. It really might outsell the PS2 without even a single price drop. That’s actually insane.

used market switches can be picked up for 2 pennies and a cardboard box

People lament the death of official price drops in video game consoles but that's really just because eBay prices on a regular weekday will drop further than any Black Friday deal. Lord have mercy if you can find a good one at a garage sale, flea market, or Facebook Marketplace.

Not to invalidate the Switch's success- But let's be real here it's cheap to get these systems, more than ever before

 

[IDKFA]

Oh boy, term quibbling my favorite.

Technical definitions aside, it's long since been established shorthand lingo that there are consoles which you connect to your TV, and there are handhelds which have their own screen and are portable.

The Switch is a hybrid of both. In my subjective view, I loath handheld gaming (pretty much always did, but especially as I get older and my near-sight vision gets worse) it's a console that can be played in an inferior handheld mode by weirdos, if they want to.

The OG and OLED Switch is a hybrid, but the Switch Lite is a pure handheld.

Considering Switch Lite sales are tallied up with the OG and OLED sales, I don't think it's too out there to compare the Switch to handhelds and home consoles.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Dr. Wilkinson]

Doesn’t matter to Nintendo. It’s just a date on the calendar for them. Switch is still selling and they’ve never been more profitable.

There’s definitely no rush to get the next system out.

 

[Muffdraul]

The OG and OLED Switch is a hybrid, but the Switch Lite is a pure handheld.

Considering Switch Lite sales are tallied up with the OG and OLED sales, I don't think it's too out there to compare the Switch to handhelds and home consoles.

I basically agree with that. I was more interested in addressing the total b.s. that a device like a Game Boy would be considered a "console" for the purposes of this discussion.