Video games are big business, so plenty of companies want to jump on board as console makers. After all, if you own the box players want to play on, you’ll be rolling in money as more and more sales pour in. That said, only a few console manufacturers have been able to break through the crowd and become the best and most trusted in the market. The good news is that game consoles continue to be incredibly popular. Among the best-selling consoles of all time, two of the top five are still in production, with the third-placed console set to break a major record over the next few months.
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Here are the 25 best-selling consoles, ranked from least to most sales.
25) Nintendo Switch 2 – 10.36 Million+
The newest system on this list, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched in June 2025. After only a few months on the market, it’s already blown past many competitors, and that should only continue if Nintendo has a strong holiday 2025. Thankfully, Nintendo fans will have another great reason to jump on board if they already haven’t, since Metroid Prime 4 launches in December.
24) PlayStation Vita – 10-15 Million (estimate)
Sony’s second portable system didn’t live up to expectations. It still sold relatively well and had a few gems, but Sony didn’t support it as well as they should have with new games. Still, if you were looking to play RPGs like Persona 4 and Suikoden 2 on the go, this was the way to do it.
23) Wii U – 13.56 Million
Similarly, the Wii U was a flop following the incredible success of the Wii. That said, while this is Nintendo’s worst-performing system by about seven million units (not counting the brand-new Switch 2), it’s still performed better than most of Sega and Atari’s efforts.
22) Nintendo GameCube – 21.74 Million
The GameCube was another miss from Nintendo. It’s not a bad season, but it absolutely lost that generation to a console we’ll talk about much later. Still, there are some great games on the GameCube. Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, and Metroid Prime are standouts, but Super Smash Bros. Melee was the smash hit of the GameCube’s robust lineup.
21) Xbox – 24 Million
The original Xbox launched in the same era as the GameCube, so it’s admirable that Microsoft’s first attempt outsold a Nintendo console. However, even if you combined both systems, they wouldn’t get close to outselling the console that tops this list. Still, the first Xbox gave us Halo, so it’ll always hold a special place in fans’ hearts.
20) Xbox Series X|S – 28.3 Million
Microsoft’s current console hasn’t been pushing the numbers the manufacturer was hoping for, but it’s a solid machine. Of course, it was much better before the price of Xbox Game Pass flew through the roof. Regardless, it’s not a bad console for most players.
19) Atari 2600 – 30 Million
Comfortably the oldest system on this list, the Atari 2600 kicked off the home video game craze. While relatively simple by modern standards, players were amazed at games like Pong, Asteroids, and Adventure. Unfortunately, Atari wasn’t able to keep the train rolling with the 5200.
18) Genesis – 30.75 Million
Sega’s answer to the Super Nintendo introduced the world to Sonic. It was a PR dream for Sega, giving them a platform mascot that competed with Nintendo’s Mario. Sega’s follow-up efforts never built on this success, but the company smoothly made the transition to third-party developer/publisher and is thriving in 2025.
17) Nintendo 64 – 32.93 Million
The N64 was the first time Nintendo got weird with its consoles. The NES and SNES were innovative, but that N64 controller was one of the strangest things players had seen in 1996. While the N64 had plenty of technical limitations, games like Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remain all-timers.
16) Super Nintendo – 49.1 Million
Following up on the NES was always going to be a challenge for Nintendo. Thankfully, the console maker knocked it out of the park, delivering a system that is filled with some of the best games of all time. From Super Mario World to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past to Final Fantasy 6, there’s something great for everyone.
15) Xbox One – 58 Million
The Xbox One seemed like a misstep from Microsoft. It was coming off a hugely successful run with the Xbox 360, but it turned fans off with some of the always-online plans the company had. They’d eventually go back on a lot of those plans, and the Xbox One hit solid sales numbers despite the early stumble.
14) Nintendo Entertainment System – 61.91 Million
When Nintendo jumped into the console market, we were in the midst of the video game crash of 1983. That allowed Japanese companies like Nintendo to own the market, and it did so with a great system that introduced fans to Super Mario Bros. Nintendo has surpassed the NES several times, but this first console set the stage for its long-term success.
13) Nintendo 3DS – 75.95 Million
Speaking of Nintendo’s long-term success, the manufacturer has released several top-selling mobile systems. The fact that the 3DS is the worst-selling handheld system from Nintendo (not counting the Switch 2) shows how dominant the company has been with the mobile audience.
12) PlayStation Portable – 80 Million
While the PlayStation Vita struggled to find its audience due to a lack of games, the PSP was a massive hit, especially in Japan, where it sold nearly 20 million units. It was supported by great games like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Monster Hunter Portable 3rd.
11) PlayStation 5 – 80.3 Million+
Sony’s current console has quickly flown up the charts since launching in 2020. It should crack the top 10 after the holiday 2025 season and has a chance to become the eighth 100-million-unit console. It’s probably not passing the PlayStation 4, but it might get close, depending on how long Sony keeps producing PS5 units.
10) Game Boy Advance – 81.51 Million
As mentioned, the GBA’s slot in the top 10 likely won’t last for long. Unless Sony decides to stop making PS5s today, it’ll pass the GBA very soon. Still, Nintendo’s follow-up to the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color is an excellent system, filled with awesome games.
9) Xbox 360 – 84 Million
The 360 was Microsoft at its most popular. The PlayStation 3 eventually outsold it, but Xbox capitalized on Sony’s early missteps to jump out to a big lead. It also started several fan-favorite Xbox franchises like Forza Horizon, Gears of War, and Mass Effect.
8) PlayStation 3 – 87.4 Million
The PlayStation 3 stumbled out of the gate with an astronomical price point, but Sony eventually got things back on track, thanks in part to its approach to online play. The introduction of PlayStation Plus and all its benefits brought many players over. Add in great games like Gran Turismo 5, the Uncharted series, and The Last of Us, and you can see why the tide turned in Sony’s favor.
7) Wii – 101.63 Million
Of course, talking about the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 without mentioning that the Wii outsold both of them would be a disservice. Nintendo’s motion-controlled marvel was the best-seller of the generation, but it was fighting for a different audience. After all, you probably weren’t seeing many 360s and PS3s in day cares and nursing homes. Still, the Wii is a solid system with a few innovative games.
6) PlayStation – 102.49 Million
The original PlayStation went toe-to-toe with the SNES and came out on top, doubling Nintendo’s console sales. Knowing that the two companies were originally working together before Nintendo decided to abandon the deal makes it sting even worse for The Big N. Sony’s focus on CDs paid off, giving fans games like Final Fantasy 7 and Metal Gear Solid.
5) PlayStation 4 – 117.2 Million+
While Microsoft was making poor choices with the “always-on” Xbox One, Sony was focused on bringing players back after the bad start to the PlayStation 3. As you can see, the developer succeeded, completely trouncing the Xbox One with the PS4, which is still in production in 2025.
4) Game Boy and Game Boy Color – 118.69 Million
This might seem like a bit of a cheat, but most lists combine the Game Boy and Game Boy Color because the Color is more like an iteration on the original console. It’d be like counting the PlayStation 4 Pro separately from the main console. That said, the Game Boy introduced most of the world to Tetris before giving us Pokémon. It doesn’t get much better than that.
3) Nintendo Switch – 154.01 Million+
The Nintendo Switch is just barely behind the second-place console on that list. Because that system is also made by Nintendo, the Switch will soon become the best-selling Nintendo console of all time. When you consider how successful Nintendo has been over its lifetime, that is an incredible statistic. Of course, the Switch 2 is technically on pace to beat it, but who knows if it’ll keep up that momentum.
2) Nintendo DS – 154.02 Million
Like we said, the DS will be dethroned as the best-selling Nintendo console of all time by the end of 2025. That said, it’s still the best-selling portable-only console, so that’s something to hang its hat on. It also has a host of great games, including The World Ends With You, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, and Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, among many, many others.
1) PlayStation 2 – 160 Million
Finally, we get to the PlayStation 2. The console that everyone else is judged against. There are so many great games on this system. Grand Theft Auto 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, God of War; the list goes on. It’s also backward compatible with the original PlayStation and functions as a DVD player. It introduced many players to online play on a console (apologies to SegaNet).
The PlayStation 2 had it all, and we might not see another system pass it. Sure, the Switch 2 has had the fastest start ever, but keeping that momentum up as long as the PS2 did is nearly impossible, especially with console generations seemingly shortening over the last decade. Even if it one day is surpassed, the PS2 has stood the test of time as one of the best consoles ever created.
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image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
