10 Best selling video game consoles of all time
25th Mar 2024 Lifestyle
7 min read
The video game industry has seen many consoles in its relatively short existence, with the best-selling models selling over 100 million units
Video games are a lucrative
business, in recent years regularly outgrossing other major
entertainment industries like music and even the film industry. This is in part
due to a wider customer base worldwide, frequent game releases and hugely
popular franchises. In fact, some of the most popular video game consoles have
comfortably sold over 100 million units in their lifetime and these are the ten
best-selling video game consoles of all time.
1. PlayStation 2 - 159 million units sold
Launching worldwide in 2000 and five years after its
predecessor, the PlayStation 2 still retains the title as the best-selling
console of all time. Which is a title some think may never be broken in gaming.
There are a few
reasons why the console sold so well, with the console also
doubling up as a DVD player that could play other media, making it an impromptu
entertainment centre. The PlayStation 2 was also backwards compatible and could
play fan favourite PlayStation 1 games. Of course, it had a strong roster of
games and graphics that were superior to its competition (the Xbox and
GameCube). Over time the console stormed ahead to an impressive tally.
2. Nintendo DS - 154.02 million units sold
Nintendo’s most successful game console to date is,
maybe surprisingly, a handheld. The Nintendo DS (dual screen) was a pioneer in
handheld games, using two screens for innovative games/features. The console
also made use of an additional element in the form of a stylus to interact with
games and the console itself, setting it apart from its competition. With
Nintendo’s strong first party offerings, the DS carried lasting appeal for many
years while it was on sale and beyond.
3. Nintendo Switch - 139.36 million units sold
The most recent entry on this list in the Nintendo
Switch, which by all accounts has been a runaway
success. The popular Nintendo console only debuted in 2017.
In ways it feels like a spiritual successor to the Nintendo DS, offering gamers
the ability to play it on the go, like a handheld, or at home like a home
console.
The Switch’s unique selling point and having the
ability to allow you to game on the go has undoubtedly contributed to its
appeal and popularity. It also made use of a price point which came in lower
than its competition, the PS4 and Xbox One.
4. Game Boy and Game Boy Colour - 118.69 million units sold
Seen by many long-time gamers as one of the most
important video game consoles, the Game Boy and Game Boy Colour were seminal
handheld consoles that are fondly remembered. Kicking off in 1989 with the Game
Boy which practically flew off shelves, it maintained its popularity for its
whole run until the Game Boy Colour.
Their popularity was in part down to their simplicity.
Both handhelds were easy to use, only requiring you to stick in a cartridge and
start playing the game. The Game Boy was sturdy and had a long battery life and
could be taken anywhere. Similarly, the Game Boy Colour had a long battery-life
and improved on the Game Boy, with a brighter, full-colour screen and a variety
of colourful shell designs.
5. PlayStation 4 - 117 million units sold
The PlayStation 4 is one of the more recent entries on
this list, launching globally in 2013. It was the fourth iteration in Sony’s
console series and repeated past designs, as well as the popular dual-shock
controller. It owes part of its success to Sony learning from mistakes,
avoiding overpricing like they did with the PlayStation 3. Another reason it
got off to a great start was because the Xbox One had an infamously
rough launch.
6. PlayStation - 102.4 million units sold
You may be noticing a trend with some of the top-selling
home consoles being made by Sony and you’d be right, with the first PlayStation
at number six. The PlayStation debuted in Japan in 1994 and in the west in
1995. As Sony’s first games console, it introduced a lot of gamers to gaming on
CDs, as opposed to on cartridges, allowing room for big improvements in
graphics quality and audio.
7. Nintendo Wii - 101.63 million units sold
At one point it may have seemed like the Nintendo Wii
was everywhere. It was an unassuming console that managed to do the impossible
and outsell its more powerful competition. The Wii was known for being easy to
use and having broad appeal games like Wii Sports, Mario Party
and the popular Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
8. PlayStation 3 - 87.4 million units sold
Despite a slightly rough launch, with concerns from
gamers over a high price point, the PlayStation 3 is still seen as a widely
successful console. This was buoyed by the console being technically impressive
and improving considerably in key areas over its predecessor, the PlayStation
2.
9. Xbox 360 - 84 million units sold
Microsoft’s second console, the Xbox 360 launched in
late 2005 and gradually tallied up an impressive haul in an overall
high-selling generation. To date the Xbox 360 is the company’s highest selling
console and it got that title with strong processing power which allowed for
great graphics, a comfortable controller and great first party games.
10. PlayStation Portable (PSP) - 82.5 million units sold
PlayStation Portable, more commonly known as the PSP,
was Sony’s first handheld console, launching in Japan in 2004 and the rest of
the world the following year. It was a direct competitor to Nintendo’s DS,
standing out with the use of optical
discs as opposed to Nintendo’s cartridges, which
allowed it to have better graphics and run more complex games.
Although it didn’t win the sales war with the
DS, the PSP was generally well received by critics and gamers alike.
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