How many Nintendo Switch have been sold? — 2024 statistics

The Nintendo Switch has sold over 125 million units worldwide.

(Source: GameInformer)

• The total hardware and software sales for the Switch in 2023 were down when looking at sales trends in previous fiscal years.
• Compared to fiscal year 2022, the Switch’s hardware sales are down from 23.06 million to 17.97 million.
• The base version of the console sold 6.14 million units, which is a 54.7% decrease compared to the previous fiscal year.
• Likewise, the Switch Lite sold 2.62 million units, equaling a 29.2% decrease in sales.
• One of the only increases in sales for the Switch was for the OLED version, which sold 9.22 million units, for a 58.8% increase in sales.

This is the most important line of stats because it highlights just how popular the Nintendo Switch is in the gaming community. The console’s total units sold have crossed a massive milestone, allowing it to climb the console leaderboards for most units sold, as we’ll talk about a bit later.

The Nintendo Switch sold 213.96 million software units sold in 2023.

(Source: GameInformer, Nintendo)

• That number is a 9% decrease in sales compared to the 2022 fiscal year.
• Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sold 20.7 million units.
• Splatoon sold 10.2 million units.
• Nintendo Switch Sports sold 9 million units.
• Mario Strikers Battle League sold 2 million units.
• Xenoblade Chronicles sold 1.6 million units.
• These sales are representative of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games.
• In total, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 1 billion software units during its lifetime.

Software sales are just as important as hardware sales because you need something to play, and that is not limited to just games but any form of software sale, from cosmetics and items, to additional content. The 213 million software sales are only for 2023, while the total lifetime software sales for the Switch go over 1 billion, another enormous milestone.

The Nintendo Switch is the third-best-selling video game console of all time.

(Source: The Verge)

• This milestone was crossed in February 2023, when the Nintendo Switch had just reached 122.5 million sales across the globe.
• That number was achieved in six years.
• The three hardware versions of the console sold a combined 8.2 million in two months in 2022.
• The Nintendo Switch also surpassed the total combined number of sales for the Game Boy Color and the normal Game Boy.
• This was all achieved while the Nintendo Switch was experiencing a decrease in sales, which we’ve already covered.
• Because of the massive success of the Nintendo Switch, management announced that Japan-based employees would receive a 10% increase in their salaries.

This is what we were talking about earlier. The Nintendo Switch has made such massive strides when it comes to popularity and sales that it is among the top three best-selling consoles of all time, trailing just behind the Nintendo DS and the PlayStation 2.

The Nintendo Switch saved Nintendo from failure.

(Source: GameSpot)

• The Wii propelled Nintendo to new rights when it came to console gaming, but there was no plan for longevity for the company if they relied on a single console.
• Third-party support was lacking and there were a billion other issues to address.
• As an answer, they came up with the Wii-U, a console that would prove to not be enough to sate the needs of the gaming community.
• This led to Nintendo losing a considerable amount of money over the years.
• That was stopped by the release of the Nintendo Switch, which was a massive hit and nailed all of the requirements that were necessary to avoid another financial failure.

The time after the release of the Wii was tumultuous, to say the least, and Nintendo was facing a brick wall, as the Wii-U was a failure both for sales and community expectations. The road was hard for Nintendo and they needed something to get back on track, and, miraculously, they managed to hit every single nail on the head with the release of the Nintendo Switch, which effectively saved the company from lacking in the console department.

To sum up

Okay, that would be all we have to say about his banger of a console! As you can see, the Nintendo Switch has gone above and beyond to deliver some of the best gaming experiences of the generation, and it’s much easier to appreciate when you can see all of the numbers in front of you. Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed what we’ve had to present here and you might come back when we inevitably update this with more information as it becomes available!

If you’re captivated by the fascinating world of Nintendo Switch and its unique position in the gaming industry, you might also be intrigued by our in-depth analyses like Super Smash Bros statistics, The Legend of Zelda statistics, and Mario Kart statistics. These articles offer a glimpse into the popularity, community engagement, and unique experiences these flagship titles bring to Nintendo Switch gamers worldwide.