Nintendo’s latest financial results are out, and with it comes the latest update to the marathon that is the best-selling game console of all time.
As it stands, the PlayStation 2 is still on top. While former Sony executive Jim Ryan claimed that the console sold 160 million units, the latest verified number is pegged at 155 million units.
The second highest selling console is Nintendo’s DS, or Dual Screen console. This console came close to PlayStation 2, at 154.02 million units sold. Both consoles were released in the middle of the 6th console generation and sold well within the timeline of the 7th generation. They benefited from coming out in a time where the socio-political and cultural zeitgeist created a boom in home entertainment.
In contrast, the pandemic and spate of global conflicts have created unfavorable market conditions today, in what should be a boom period for the games industry once again. PlayStation 4, first released over a decade ago, would indicate that the games business should be doing much better right now. At 117.2 million units sold, it leapfrogged the original PlayStation and the Wii to become the 5th best-selling console.
But as we know, the current market condition are such that Nintendo is reckoning with lowering sales and profits year on year. Objectively, Nintendo is still doing very well, but the Switch’s stellar run is finally starting to slow at its 7th year.
So, with all this in mind, how is the Switch 2 doing now?
As reported by Nintendo, it sold 4.73 million units in the latest quarter, a drop of 31 % from the 6.84 million units it sold in the same quarter last year. Subsequently, they have dropped their sales forecast for the rest of the year from 13.5 million units, down to 12.5 million units.
But as of right now, the Switch stands at 146.04 million units sold. For those who don’t know, it is already at the top 3 spot in the best selling games of all time, and inching ever closer.
And the gap between the DS and the PlayStation 2 is not as big as the gap between the Switch and the DS. So, once the Switch does catch up to the DS, it won’t take that much longer for it to overtake the PlayStation 2.
As we hinted at above, an odd proviso here is that we don’t have real verification to Ryan’s claim that the PlayStation 2 went past 155 million units, to 160 million units. If Ryan was joking, or he was fudging the numbers, we may end up in a situation where it will be up for debate if the Switch outsold the PlayStation 2 or not.
And of course, Sony could fix that if they share a clarification on the factual number. Or maybe we could verify that number in the most unwelcome way; through another hacker leak.
But either way, Nintendo is in that odd position once again where they just experienced industry defining success, but now the pressure is on to live up to those impossible standards yet again. We know Nintendo won’t panic and suddenly announce or release the Switch 2, but now they’re in that awkward place of having to create some sort of miracle to save their bacon until then.
