Switch-craft: Nintendo's Hybrid Is Conjuring Up Historic Sales, PS2 Better Watch Its Crown!
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
The Nintendo Switch is on the verge of becoming Nintendo's best-selling console, poised to surpass the DS's impressive 154.02 million units, and with sustained sales, it could even challenge the PlayStation 2's legendary 160m+ record to become the best-selling console of all time.
Right then, grab your potion flasks and settle in, 'cause we've got some absolutely bonkers news from the digital scrolls, courtesy of Robert Purchese over at Eurogamer (Cheers, mate!). While everyone's been buzzing about the shiny new Switch 2 (which, fair enough, sounds like it's doing a bang-up job), it's the OG Nintendo Switch, that plucky hybrid darling, that's quietly conjuring up some seriously historic sales figures.
According to the arcane arts of financial reporting (read: sales data up to September 30, 2025), the Switch is literally a hair's breadth – we're talking about 10,000 units – from eclipsing the legendary Nintendo DS. Think about that for a sec: the DS, with its colossal 154.02 million lifetime sales, is about to be dethroned by its younger, shapeshifting sibling. The Switch is currently sitting pretty at 154.01 million. Neck and bloody neck, mate! Given that the Switch is still shifting units like hot cakes (or like a wizard selling enchanted trinkets, take your pick), this isn't a question of 'if,' but 'when.' Reckon it'll be by the time you finish your cuppa.
Nintendo's even forecasting another 4 million units for the full year, with two more sales quarters to go. That's a fair dinkum landslide in the making! To put that into perspective, remember the Wii? That phenomenon that got everyone's gran doing virtual tennis? It topped out at 101.63 million. Impressive, sure, but the Switch is just... different. It's like comparing a well-loved spellbook to an entire library of forbidden knowledge. And let's not even mention the Wii U. Bless its little heart, it barely scraped together 14.56 million. A cautionary tale, that one – sometimes even wizards misread the runes.
But here's the kicker, the real 'hold my butterbeer' moment: The Switch might not just stop at being Nintendo's champ. Oh no, it's got its curious, irreverent gaze fixed on the biggest fish in the digital sea: the PlayStation 2. Sony's PS2, the undisputed heavyweight champion of all time, clocked in over 160 million sales. A monumental feat, no doubt, and it passed that milestone last autumn. But is that tally insurmountable? Jeff's crystal ball says... maybe not!
If the Switch keeps trickling in those sales, maintaining its momentum even with the Switch 2 stealing some thunder, it could genuinely challenge the PS2 for the all-time console crown. Imagine that – a little hybrid console, initially met with a fair bit of skepticism, potentially becoming the most successful gaming machine ever built. What a timeline to be in, eh?
So, what does this all mean for us, the pixel-loving populace? It means the Switch, despite its age, is a titan. It shows the staying power of genuinely great hardware and a killer game library. And it proves that sometimes, the magic isn't just in the new, but in the enduring power of something truly well-made. Keep an eye on those numbers, mates. This is more than just a sales race; it's a testament to Nintendo's wizardry. Hats off to Robert Purchese at Eurogamer for spotting this digital tea leaf reading. You can find the original scoop right here
Tags: Nintendo Switch, Console Sales, Gaming Industry, Nintendo, PlayStation 2
Original article: Eurogamer