Have you heard the news? The Nintendo Switch has shipped out nearly 15 million units since its launch in March last year. It leaves its predecessor, the Wii U, in the dust, and approaches popularity levels of the Wii. But before Nintendo fans send the high fives around, let’s take a look and see how the console stacks up against others within their own first year.
The PlayStation 4 released in November of 2013 and broke through four million sales in just three months. By the end of year one, it counted over ten million, nabbing Sony the award for the U.S. market for its tenth straight month. FYI, the PS2 has sold more consoles over its lifetime than all others on the market.
Microsoft’s Xbox One exploded onto the market with one million sales within a mere 24 hours after launch in November 2013. After two-and-a-half weeks, that figure doubled to two million. Finally, after one year, Microsoft reported sales nearing the ten million mark, and that the One was the best-selling console worldwide in November 2014.
Judging the New 3DS’s sales numbers is a bit trickier, since it didn’t see a simultaneous worldwide release. Japan got theirs in fall of 2014, and the U.S. and Europe in February 2015. Nintendo did report that the souped-up 3DS model and the XL version combined raked in just under ten million units worldwide. The original 3DS sold only about three million by the end of 2011, but skyrocketed to 13 million by 2012’s end.
Though it would appear the Switch outsold all other consoles in the stretch of a year, its lifetime statistics are well below the other two (but then, those released much earlier and have had more time to grow). The PS2 boasts over 155 million lifetime sales, and the first Nintendo DS just barely behind at 154 million. Granted they’re a lot older, but they’re also discontinued, and no other console has come close to matching their success since.