The Switch Is Now Nintendo’s Best-Selling — What That Means in the Switch 2 Era

This caught my attention because the Switch’s run has felt unstoppable since launch – and yet we still didn’t expect Nintendo’s 2017 hardware to eclipse the DS only after the company launched a successor. Hitting 155.37 million lifetime units as of Dec. 31, 2025 (reported in Feb. 2026) is a statement about longevity, pricing strategy and library depth – not just one viral hit.

Nintendo Switch vs. PS2: A Detailed Sales Comparison in the Switch 2 Era

• Switch hits 155.37M: Nintendo’s original Switch has now outsold the DS (154.02M) but still trails the PlayStation 2’s 160+M lifetime total.
• Switch 2 is fast out of the gate: The new hardware reached ~17.37M units in its first months, becoming Nintendo’s fastest-selling console.
• Library + discounts = longevity: Heavy post-launch discounts, massive software attach rates (~9.7 games per console) and full backward compatibility kept Switch sales moving after Switch 2’s launch.
• Market implication: Combined Switch family momentum could push Nintendo toward a PS2-sized install base in a few years, but the PS2’s historical third-party scale still matters.

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Publisher|Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Release Date|Feb 2026 (financials covering up to Dec 31, 2025)
Category|Hardware & Sales
Platform|Nintendo Switch family (Switch, Switch 2)
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Numbers first: Nintendo’s Feb 2026 results show the original Switch at 155.37M lifetime units and the Switch 2 at 17.37M. Software for the Switch family sits around 1.5 billion units lifetime, giving the original Switch an attach rate near 9.7 – on par with the PS2 era’s productivity per console. That’s a huge part of why Nintendo can still move hardware: the library keeps selling.

Why the milestone matters beyond bragging rights: the Switch’s hybrid design created a new usage pattern (handheld-first, docked-second) that extended the device’s commercial life. Nintendo capitalized on that with steady first-party drops, recurring discounts to clear SKUs after Switch 2 launched, and compatibility that lets owners play established hits on new machines. In short, the Switch became a utility device for many households rather than a single-generation novelty.

Compare that to the PS2: Sony’s console still holds a lead on raw lifetime units (160M+ after a later audit), and it dominated an era where third-party support and DVD playback widened its appeal. The Switch didn’t need DVD sales, but it did benefit from digital distribution and ongoing eShop promotions — a different path to the same end: huge cumulative sales.

But don’t mistake headline totals for parity. The PS2’s third-party ecosystem and multi-year dominance created a unique software catalog and cultural footprint that the Switch family can match functionally but not identically. Meanwhile, Switch 2’s 17.37M start matters for momentum: Nintendo’s newest hardware is the company’s fastest-selling, which shifts where future first-party and third-party efforts will land.

From a consumer perspective the practical takeaways are straightforward. If you want the cheapest path to the massive Switch library and local multiplayer, discounted original Switch models remain a great value. If you want the best performance, future-first ports and the longer road ahead for competitive scenes, Switch 2 is the smarter buy — especially as early-adopter pricing softens over the next year.

Concerns worth flagging: PS2’s revised lifetime is a reminder that historical comparisons can change with audits and accounting; also, continued sales of older hardware rely on inventory clearance and promotional pricing, not organic demand alone. Finally, rapid Switch 2 uptake will concentrate Nintendo’s software effort on the new platform, which could accelerate the original Switch’s fade in official support over time.

What this means for readers

Buy a discounted Switch now if you want a low-cost gateway into Nintendo’s enormous library and local multiplayer. Choose Switch 2 if you prioritize future-proofing, higher fidelity ports and being on the platform that will get Nintendo’s primary support going forward. For collectors and retro fans, the PS2’s legacy catalog remains distinct — but for active, contemporary play, the Switch family dominates.

TL;DR

Hitting 155.37M makes the original Switch Nintendo’s best-seller ever, but the PS2 still leads historically. Switch 2’s rapid start shifts future momentum to Nintendo’s new hardware while the original Switch remains a high-value option thanks to discounts and a massive library. The headline is less “one console beat another” and more “Nintendo’s platform strategy kept two generations commercially healthy at once.”