Video game consoles have evolved a lot since their early days. These were mostly portable, handheld machines that could play 8-bit games, but over time, they have evolved into performance beasts capable of running games that one could never have imagined in the early 80s or 90s. The transition started with the original Sony PlayStation over 30 years ago.
In this article, we will talk about the top 10 best selling gaming consoles of all time. These consoles have played a crucial part in shaping the video game console industry that we see today. Many of these even helped attract families, non-gamers, and casual gamers to the gaming community.
Best Selling Gaming Consoles
Sony PlayStation 2 (160.6M)
The Sony PlayStation 2 launched 25 years ago, but continues to lead the best selling gaming consoles chart. It has sold over 160 million units since its debut in March 2000. It was the first gaming console to feature a built-in DVD drive and was a lot more affordable than stand-alone DVD players. This helped it reach a lot more households and sell in such massive numbers. It also had full backward compatibility with the original PlayStation games and accessories.
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The PlayStation 2 is also known for offering one of the biggest and most diverse gaming libraries for a single console. Some popular names include GTA: San Andreas, GTA: Vice City, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, Resident Evil 4, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, and Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec.
Nintendo DS (154M)
The Nintendo DS is a foldable gaming handheld console launched in November 2004. The DS in the name stands for Dual Screen, as it had a display on the top and at the bottom. This allowed game devs to offer a unique approach to gameplay by using the two displays to show different content at the same time. The bottom display also had touchscreen input support that allowed players to interact with games in a way that was innovative in that era. It also had a built-in microphone, Gameboy Advance games backward compatibility, and wireless multiplayer.
Nintendo Switch (153.1M)
The Nintendo Switch is a modern gaming handheld that launched in March 2017. It has managed to reach the third spot and is very close to becoming the second-best-selling gaming console. Nintendo says it has sold over 153 million units within only eight years of the release. It is widely known for its colorful Joy-Con controllers and official dock system that lets you attach the console to the TV for a big screen gaming experience. A successor to the console, i.e., Nintendo Switch 2, was unveiled a few months ago.
Game Boy and Game Boy Color (118.6M)
Nintendo combines Gam Boy and Game Boy Color sales figures as it considers the two gaming handheld consoles almost the same. This is because both are almost identical in terms of technical specifications and game library. Major differences include a faster chip, more storage, and colorful graphics on the Color variant. The two consoles debuted in 1989 and 1998 and have sold 118 million units worldwide.
Sony PlayStation 4 (117.2M)
The PlayStation 4 was an eighth-generation console and proved to be a massive success with over 117 million units sold. Sony claims it is the fastest home gaming console to reach the 100 million mark. Its sales numbers were last reported officially in June 2022, and it was discontinued in March 2024. It is safe to assume its sales numbers are likely to have increased in the meantime.
The console made it convenient and quick to record/share gameplay footage and screenshots with a dedicated Share button on the DualShock 4 controller. It also had an impressive library of exclusive games like Uncharted 4, God of War (2018), The Last of Us Part 2, Horizon Zero Dawn, Ghost of Tsushima, and Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Sony PlayStation (102.4M)
The original PlayStation is what started it all for Sony in 1994. It introduced the world to video games on CD-ROMs instead of cartridges. It focused a lot on 3D video games that had never been seen before then. Its gaming library included titles like Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Crash Bandicoot, Tekken 3, and Metal Gear Solid. Its hardware capabilities and amazing games helped it sell over 102 million units.
Nintendo Wii (101.6M)
The Nintendo Wii was a unique gaming console, thanks to its motion-sensitive controller called Wii Remote. It allowed players to interact and play video games more intuitively by detecting hand movements and gestures. The controller could be used like a shooting gun, a tennis racquet, or a steering wheel for driving games. This is something that appealed even to non-gamers and was a great hit during house/office parties and friend get-togethers. This unique approach helped Nintendo sell over 101 million Wii consoles around the globe.
Sony PlayStation 3 (87.4M)
The PlayStation 3 went official in 2006 with multiple firsts for a gaming console. It was the first console to feature a Blu-Ray disc player, an HDMI port, and 1080p resolution output. Despite these advancements, it did not get off to a good start because of expensive pricing and a limited library. Once Sony fixed both these issues, it started to sell in good numbers and reached its lifetime sales of 87.4 million units. Some of its exclusive titles include God of War 3, Uncharted series, Infamous, and The Last of Us.
Xbox 360 (85M)
The Xbox 360 is the only Xbox gaming console to have made it among the top 10 best selling gaming consoles. It was the first console to introduce the Achievements and Gamerscore system that allowed gamers virtual bragging rights for doing specific tasks/actions in games. This approach became so popular that it was also implemented by Xbox rivals. The console further improved Xbox Live on many fronts through better social features and Xbox Live Arcade. Its library of exclusive titles included Halo 3, Gears of War, Fable 2, Forza Motorsport 2, and Forza Motorsport 3. While official sales figures are disputed, it is said to have sold approximately 84-85 million units.
Game Boy Advance (81.5M)
Nintendo launched the Game Boy Advance as a 32-bit handheld gaming console in March 2001. It was a lot more powerful device than many other competitors of that era. It offered games with improved visuals and gameplay like The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. The handheld was released as the iQue Game Boy Advance in China. Overall, it managed to sell around 81.5 million units around the globe.
Sony PlayStation 5 (80.3M)
The PlayStation 5 is the current-generation gaming console from Sony. It was unveiled in November 2020, featuring an ultra-fast SSD, DualSense controller with better user feedback, more powerful hardware, and 3D Audio. It is also the first home gaming console from the company to introduce a digital-only variant. However, the console’s library of exclusives and newer IPs has been pretty limited so far. Sony has already sold over 80 million units of the PS5, and it would not be a surprise if it manages to climb up a few more spots among best selling gaming consoles by the end of its lifetime.
