Nintendo Switch Sales Statistics (2017–2026): Console & Game Numbers
Free to use with a link back to ShaneTheGamer — compiled and kept up to date from the public sources listed below. Figures reflect the latest available reporting. Last updated: 2026.
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling video-game consoles in history. This page tracks Switch hardware and software sales from its 2017 launch through 2026 — including the console’s climb up the all-time charts, its best-selling games, and how the new Switch 2 is performing.
Key Takeaways for Journalists
- The Switch has sold 155.92 million units as of March 2026 — Nintendo’s best-selling home console ever.
- It has passed the Nintendo DS (154M) and is closing on the all-time record holder, the PS2 (~160M).
- Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (~67M) is the best-selling Switch game and the best-selling Mario Kart ever.
- The Switch 2 has sold ~20 million units in its first year (2025–26), outpacing the PS5.
- Switch software has sold well over 1.4 billion copies lifetime.
- The Switch’s 8+ year run is one of the longest of any Nintendo home console.
How Many Nintendo Switch Consoles Have Sold?
As of Nintendo’s results for the year ending March 2026, the original Switch family has sold 155.92 million units worldwide. That makes it comfortably Nintendo’s best-selling home console — ahead of the Wii (~102M) — and one of the top three best-selling consoles of all time, having overtaken the Nintendo DS (154.02M) and now trailing only Sony’s PlayStation 2 (~160M).
| Console | Maker | Lifetime sales |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 2 | Sony | ~160 million |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo | ~156 million (2026) |
| Nintendo DS | Nintendo | ~154 million |
| Game Boy / Color | Nintendo | ~119 million |
| PlayStation 4 | Sony | ~117 million |
Best-Selling Switch Games
Switch software has been extraordinarily strong, with several titles selling in the tens of millions. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe leads at roughly 67 million — an attach rate few games in history have matched — followed by Animal Crossing: New Horizons (~47M), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (~35M) and Zelda: Breath of the Wild (~32M).
| Game | Copies sold |
|---|---|
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | ~67 million |
| Animal Crossing: New Horizons | ~47 million |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | ~35 million |
| Zelda: Breath of the Wild | ~32 million |
| Super Mario Odyssey | ~29 million |
| Pokémon Scarlet/Violet | ~26 million |
How Is the Switch 2 Doing?
Nintendo’s next-generation console, the Switch 2, launched in 2025 and had sold around 20 million units by mid-2026 — running ahead of the original Switch’s launch pace and outselling the PlayStation 5 over comparable quarters. Nintendo has forecast a further 16.5 million Switch 2 sales for the 2026–27 financial year.
Where the Switch Ranks in History
If the Switch overtakes the PS2, it will become the best-selling video-game console ever made. Even if it falls just short, an 8-plus-year lifecycle selling over 155 million units cements it as one of the defining platforms of its generation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Nintendo Switch consoles have been sold?
The Nintendo Switch has sold 155.92 million units worldwide as of March 2026, per Nintendo’s financial results — making it Nintendo’s best-selling home console ever.
Is the Switch the best-selling console of all time?
Not quite — it ranks second, having passed the Nintendo DS (154M) but still trailing the PlayStation 2 (~160M). It may overtake the PS2 to claim the all-time record.
What is the best-selling Switch game?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, at roughly 67 million copies — also the best-selling Mario Kart game in history.
How many Switch 2 units have sold?
The Switch 2 sold around 20 million units in its first year (2025–26), outpacing both the original Switch and the PS5 over comparable periods.
When did the Nintendo Switch launch?
The original Switch launched on 3 March 2017. The Switch 2 followed in 2025.
Methodology & Sourcing
Hardware and software figures are sell-through/shipment numbers reported by Nintendo Co., Ltd. in its quarterly and annual financial results, cross-referenced with VGChartz estimates and Statista. Console-comparison totals are lifetime figures. All numbers are rounded and updated as Nintendo reports.
Sources
- Nintendo Co., Ltd. — financial results, hardware & software unit sales (FY ending March 2026)
- VGChartz — worldwide hardware estimates (2026)
- Statista — Nintendo Switch unit sales worldwide
- Nintendo Life — Switch lifetime sales coverage (2026)
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