• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Switch officially passes Xbox 360 and PS3 lifetime sales on the road to #1

Marty-McFly

Banned
It is now the 7th best selling console ever. It will likely pass the Wii and the PS1 this holiday taking 5th spot by early 2022.


Edit: Here are also some slightly outdated launch aligned graphs of the best selling consoles ever.






EDIT: These tweets from industry analysts positioning the Switch against other home consoles has sparked a lot of debate that the Switch should not be compared to them because it can be played portably.

Here are my thoughts on the matter.

The truth lies in between.

It's both a portable and a home console. A hybrid. The Switch. Marketed and distributed as such. It will always be compared to home only consoles because of this, not to mention its software model is 100% home console oriented with full priced, full featured games. This is where it differentiates from portable only platforms with the ability to purchase TV out features as an afterthought. So whether people like it or not, it will always be in the conversation with home only console platforms and directly compared to their sales by the gaming market at large.

Also, after 76 months on the market, it's selling faster than any gaming device, portable or home console, than any other gaming company has ever released.
 
Last edited:
Man, what is it with Nintendo bouncing back after dark periods, coming back stronger than ever?

While it's my favorite console ever, the GCN was in third place during its generation. Next generation, the Wii and DS completely dominated to a degree rarely seen in gaming. Next generation, the Wii U is an utter failure and laughingstock, easily Nintendo's worst selling console besides the Virtual Boy. In fact, despite selling less, I would argue that VB is actually a more relevant system due to its reputation as a shitshow of a console, whereas the Wii U was kinda just there. But then the Switch comes out, and Nintendo is on top yet again.

I feel like their next console will fail, but the console after that will sell like hotcakes. That seems to have been the pattern the last few generations.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Great selling system, but still way lower than Nintendo's best heydays which was Wii + DS sales 10-15 years ago. Those two probably combined for 200 million.
250 million, but that was a statistical anomaly.

Nintendo's handheld and home consoles usually wind up combining for around 100 million +

Switch should comfortably be Nintendo's second most lucrative era in gaming, especially given its monstrous first party software sales, in fact it could be it's first as it is already rivaling the DS and Wii's peak years in terms of revenue and surpassing profit margins. It's cheaper and more efficient to have a single platform selling full price games...

and fortunately its success looks much more stable than the DS and Wii era which captured a gigantic casual market who quickly moved on to smart phones.

Switch 2 is in a very good position.
 
Last edited:

Cornbread78

Member
Yay!
idyf22w.gif
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Man, what is it with Nintendo bouncing back after dark periods, coming back stronger than ever?

While it's my favorite console ever, the GCN was in third place during its generation. Next generation, the Wii and DS completely dominated to a degree rarely seen in gaming. Next generation, the Wii U is an utter failure and laughingstock, easily Nintendo's worst selling console besides the Virtual Boy. In fact, despite selling less, I would argue that VB is actually a more relevant system due to its reputation as a shitshow of a console, whereas the Wii U was kinda just there. But then the Switch comes out, and Nintendo is on top yet again.

I feel like their next console will fail, but the console after that will sell like hotcakes. That seems to have been the pattern the last few generations.
With Nintendo being the only console maker with a handheld feature, as long as their systems always have a handheld component to it, I dont see their systems doing bad. No matter what mobile gaming does on smartphones doesn't seem to hurt Nintendo handhelds.

But if Nintendo ever tries doing a traditional console again it'll be DOA. I don't see them being able to replicate a Wii success again without a mobile part to it.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
250 million, but that was a statistical anomaly.

Nintendo's handheld and home consoles usually wind up combining for around 100 million +

Switch should comfortably be Nintendo's second most lucrative era in gaming, especially given its monstrous first party software sales,

and fortunately its success looks much more stable than the DS and Wii era which captured a gigantic casual market who quickly moved on to smart phones.

Switch 2 is in a very good position.
That era was hot for sales. I did my part buying 360, but as a whole 360/PS3/Wii + DS/PSP all added together was probably about 500 million units.
 
Switch will end up as the #3 all time console. It's inevitable. It will never reach PS2 and NDS though, because those two were insanely cheap. Nintendo is not dropping the price anytime soon, especially not to 99 dollars or so.

Revenue wise, Switch is likely already the #1 console of all time, btw. If not, it's very close. Probably by next year.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Switch will end up as the #3 all time console. It's inevitable. It will never reach PS2 and NDS though, because those two were insanely cheap. Nintendo is not dropping the price anytime soon, especially not to 99 dollars or so.

Revenue wise, Switch is likely already the #1 console of all time, btw. If not, it's very close. Probably by next year.
Two factors you may be underestimating regarding Switch reaching #1:

1) Software evergreens. Look at the top of the NPD charts every month. Switch games just keep selling and selling years after release. It just wasn't as common in the PS2 and 3DS days. It's new consumers buying these games. We see a game like GTAV on other platforms that charted for well over half a decade. The same is happening here. BOTW, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Smash and the like could conceivably sell the Switch for years to come, much less all the other evergreens it's accumulating.

These games are even more impressive than they appear on the charts because half of Nintendo's sales are digital and they are the only one of the big 3 who don't include digital sales.

2) More revisions, possibly a Pro like model, and eventually a pricedrop.
 
Last edited:

anthony2690

Banned
I shamefully account for 4 of them switches and 1 switch lite (all since sold, except the acnh switch that I got for my partner as an anniversary gift) as I just can't play sub hd and sub 30fps anymore.
Or juddery sick inducing single digits to low twenties, whatever the hell mh:stories 2 was :(
 
Last edited:
Man, what is it with Nintendo bouncing back after dark periods, coming back stronger than ever?

While it's my favorite console ever, the GCN was in third place during its generation. Next generation, the Wii and DS completely dominated to a degree rarely seen in gaming. Next generation, the Wii U is an utter failure and laughingstock, easily Nintendo's worst selling console besides the Virtual Boy. In fact, despite selling less, I would argue that VB is actually a more relevant system due to its reputation as a shitshow of a console, whereas the Wii U was kinda just there. But then the Switch comes out, and Nintendo is on top yet again.

I feel like their next console will fail, but the console after that will sell like hotcakes. That seems to have been the pattern the last few generations.
I think Nintendo just gets lucky. Wii was a fad - nobody knew that it would be such a hit with older people. And Switch sales are inflated due to Covid and lockdowns (especially in household with kids).
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Sure. But it only kept going because of Covid. It should have plateau’d by now like most Nintendo consoles.
The only platform that Nintendo ever produced that did near Switch numbers initially before quickly fading into oblivion was the Wii, and we all know that was because it was exceptionally gimmicky attracting a bizarre demographic of non gamers, but hey, it still had some games I enjoyed.

Everything else they had near Switch's initial first couple years of success had a long and healthy shelf life.
 
Last edited:

Ritsumei2020

Report me for console warring
For real, I thought 360 sold more than that?

Maybe its because it was a very long generation...

How did Xbox One sell?
 

S0ULZB0URNE

Member
Switch could end up as the #3(could be higher)all time portable. It's inevitable. It will never reach PS2 and NDS though, because those two were insanely cheap. Nintendo is not dropping the price anytime soon, especially not to 99 dollars or so.

Revenue wise, Switch might be the #1 portable of all time, btw. If not, it's very close. Probably by next year.
Edited for truth
 

EDMIX

Member
Great selling system, but still way lower than Nintendo's best heydays which was Wii + DS sales 10-15 years ago. Those two probably combined for 200 million.
Agreed.

I feel its never getting to any of that crazy shit as that install base doesn't even play such systems anymore, they are on mobile, facebook games etc
 

Zathalus

Member
On the road to number 1? Sure, I can believe that for the PS4/XONE generation, but I don't think it is going to topple the PS2 155 million number.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Last edited:

Zathalus

Member
It's tracking way ahead of the PS2 right now launch aligned



AEDEBF94-A4BA-4DC2-BE17-99525982512C.jpeg


AEDEBF94-A4BA-4DC2-BE17-99525982512C.jpeg
The success of the PS2 was due to the ability of it to still sell well, long after the 360 and PS3 launched (it only got discontinued after 12 years) . Part of that was due to how cheap it was in its later years, and the extensive PS1 and PS2 library and partly due to the failures of the PS3.

So sure, the Switch can potentially outsell the PS2, but that requires that Nintendo not launch a successor in 2023/2024 and give it a substantial price cut. Neither of which is likely as Nintendo does not take losses on consoles sold, and that they would certainly would want to capitalize on the success of the Switch and not have another Wii U debacle.
 

Kjtc1979

Member
The success of the PS2 was due to the ability of it to still sell well, long after the 360 and PS3 launched (it only got discontinued after 12 years) . Part of that was due to how cheap it was in its later years, and the extensive PS1 and PS2 library and partly due to the failures of the PS3.

So sure, the Switch can potentially outsell the PS2, but that requires that Nintendo not launch a successor in 2023/2024 and give it a substantial price cut. Neither of which is likely as Nintendo does not take losses on consoles sold, and that they would certainly would want to capitalize on the success of the Switch and not have another Wii U debacle.

It all comes down to whether Switch remains an iterative platform, getting upgrades here and there, or if it’s replaced within the next 2-3 years.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
The success of the PS2 was due to the ability of it to still sell well, long after the 360 and PS3 launched (it only got discontinued after 12 years) . Part of that was due to how cheap it was in its later years, and the extensive PS1 and PS2 library and partly due to the failures of the PS3.

So sure, the Switch can potentially outsell the PS2, but that requires that Nintendo not launch a successor in 2023/2024 and give it a substantial price cut. Neither of which is likely as Nintendo does not take losses on consoles sold, and that they would certainly would want to capitalize on the success of the Switch and not have another Wii U debacle.
I think Switch will be a thing until like 2025 (which would put it around the DS's lifecycle). They said fairly recently they were only halfway through its lifecycle. I see revisions, possible pro-like upgrades, and of course price cuts, of which they haven't even had a single one yet.
 
Last edited:

KAL2006

Banned
Reminder Switch hasn't had a price drop yet. Only a gimped Switch Lite that was cheaper. They still have price drop card to make sales carry on for years longer. I can see a Switch 2 happening with the same power as a Deck by 2024.
 
Last edited:

Soosa

Banned
Great selling system, but still way lower than Nintendo's best heydays which was Wii + DS sales 10-15 years ago. Those two probably combined for 200 million.
Yeah Switch should be compared to home system+handheld combined numbers.

It is kind of funny, how some people say that switch is hybrid, when it works for their agenda, and then when it doesnt, it is not mentioned.

Like when comparing Switch sales to home consoles, it is just not fair. There is literally a handheld only version of switch available.

What would be fair? Either compare it to Wii+DS sales, or make a new category for hybrids, which would be fair IMO.

Or take best selling Playstation home console + handheld and combine those numbers vs switch.
 

kyliethicc

Member
People forget that the Switch is now both Nintendo's handheld and home console.

Here's some context for sales comparisons when combining home & portable:

SNES + GameBoy = ~ 113 million
N64 + GB Color = ~ 88 million
GC + GBA = 103 million
Wii + DS = 255 million
WiiU + 3DS = 89 million
Switch + Switch Lite = 90+ million (so far)
 

Kenpachii

Member
People forget that the Switch is now both Nintendo's handheld and home console.

Here's some context for sales comparisons when combining home & portable:

SNES + GameBoy = ~ 113 million
N64 + GB Color = ~ 88 million
GC + GBA = 103 million
Wii + DS = 255 million
WiiU + 3DS = 89 million
Switch + Switch Lite = 90+ million (so far)

Exactly.

And putting it in a list of console only is misleading as hell like the OP and that website does.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom