Nintendo has developed many commercially successful consoles, but Sony’s PlayStation is at the top of the list.
Game consoles appeared long before the first computer appeared. They were a variety of home analogs of Pong systems, consoles with cartridges that looked as clumsy and uncomplicated as possible, but time passed and technology changed. Therefore, we decided to compile a rating of the best selling consoles:
Table of contents – Best-selling video game consoles
- Nintendo 64 (N64)
- Microsoft Xbox One
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Nintendo 3DS 75 Million
- Sony PalyStation Portable
- Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Microsoft Xbox 360
- Sony PalyStation 3
- Sony Palystation 4
- Nintendo Wii
- Sony PlayStation
- Nintendo Game Boy
- Nintendo DS
- Sony PlayStation 2
15. Nintendo 64 (33 Million Units Sold)
Release date: Sep 29, 1996 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Super Mario 64
- Mario Kart 64
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
On June 23, 1996, Nintendo partnered with Silicon Graphics to unveil a new console called the Nintendo 64 (N64), which was a response to the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles.
“After 19 months of intense development, we have achieved two of our main goals for the Nintendo Ultra 64: developing a chipset capable of delivering the world’s best video game experience, and doing so at a price that will not exceed $ 250 retail,” said the executive at that time the duties of the chairman of Nintendo Of America.
According to the creators, sales of the N64 stopped at 33 million, and the most popular games for it were The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark, and GoldenEye 007.
14. Microsoft Xbox One (Nearly 51 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 22, 2013 (still in production)
The most popular games are:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
The next line is occupied by the third console from Microsoft – Xbox One. The first release date was November 22, 2013. On that day, the console appeared in North America, Europe, and Australia. However, it is impossible to find real official sales figures for this product, as Microsoft ceased reporting back in October 2015, stating that “the response of our users is a key indicator of success.”
13. Super Nintendo Entertainment System (49 Million Units Sold)
Release Date: November 21, 1990 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
- Chrono Trigger
- Super Metroid
SNES is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in the US, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. According to official information from the developer, sales of this console have exceeded 49 million. It differs from many consoles of the time in its vast library of quality games. During its existence, about 400 games have been sold on the official market.
12. Nintendo Entertainment System (61 Million Units Sold)
Release Date: July 15, 1983 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Super Mario Bros 3
- The Legend of Zelda
- Super Mario Bros
This line is occupied by the predecessor of the Super Famicom. It was released in 1983 and, according to official figures, has sold over 61 million copies. The console proved to be as popular in America as the Famicom was in Japan, and was instrumental in reviving interest in the video game industry. However, closer to the 90s, this console was at the decline of its popularity due to the appearance of more advanced copies, such as the Sega Mega Drive.
11. Nintendo 3DS (75 Million Units Sold)
Release Date: February 26, 2011 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D
- Fire Emblem: Awakening
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link between Worlds
Nintendo 3DS is a portable gaming system made by Nintendo, capable of creating a three-dimensional image effect without the use of special glasses. The console went on sale in all regions before the end of Nintendo’s fiscal year, which ended at the end of March 2011. According to the developers, the number of consoles sold reached almost 75 million. In addition, the total number of games sold for the console exceeds 375 million copies.
10. Sony PlayStation Portable (76 Million Units Sold)
Release date: December 12, 2004 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- God of War: Chains of Olympus
- Grant Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
The tenth place is deservedly occupied by the hit of 2011 among consoles – PlayStation Portable. The PSP is Sony’s fourth product in the PlayStation lineup. The most popular games for this console are Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City, Stories Monster Hunter Freedom 3, and God of War: Chains of Olympus. In 2012, the company stopped providing information on PSP sales, but it is known that in 2012, 76 million units were sold.
9. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (81.5 Million Units Sold)
Release date: March 21, 2001 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
81.5 million is the same amount sold the Game Boy Advance, released in 2001 in Japan. An interesting fact is that the closure of sales of games for this console was marked by 377 million units. Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen proved to be one of the most popular games for the Game Boy Advance.
8. Microsoft Xbox 360 (84 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 22, 2005 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Grand Theft Auto V
- BioShock
The second set-top box of the Xbox series: the Xbox 360 model has become one of the highest selling consoles. In 2005, she appeared in the United States. Around 2007, it arrived in Europe and other parts of the world. Between 2007 and 2009, exclusive Xbox 360 Pro and Elite models were released, complete with Forza Motosport 2, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and Lego Indiana Jones.
In June 2014, Microsoft announced 84 million sold copies of the Xbox 360. However, in 2015, the developers refused to publish official data on the number of consoles sold, and since then, the Xbox 360 has been on official sale for another two years.
7. Sony PlayStation 3 (88 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 11, 2006 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Grant Theft Auto V
- Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
The top ten best-selling consoles include almost all PlayStation consoles. The seventh place is taken by one of the main competitors of the Xbox 360 – PlayStation 3, with which you can play, watch movies, listen to music, send emails and browse the web. In 2006 it appeared in Japan, but only a year later it could be bought in Europe, North America, and Russia. Various console sales figures lead to a total of 88.5 million units, which IGN conservatively rounds to 88 million.
6. Sony PlayStation 4 (91 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 15, 2013 (still in production)
The most popular games are:
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Grant Theft Auto V
- The Last of Us Remastered
The successor of the third console in its family, the PlayStation 4 dominates the eighth generation of consoles. As of December 31, 2018, Sony has officially sold over 91 million PS4s with over 875 million copies of games. Based on the current state of affairs, the “four”, it seems, intends to break into the top 4 of all time, because before the launch of sales of new generation consoles there is still about a year in stock.
5. Nintendo Wii (100 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 19, 2006 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Super Mario Galaxy 2
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Nintendo Wii became the first console, sales of which exceeded 100 million. By itself, it is very different from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. First, the Nintendo Wii is the smallest of the 7th generation consoles. Its dimensions are 44 mm wide, 157 mm high, and 215.4 mm long. Secondly, the console is unique in its controller – “Wii Remote”, which can determine its movement and orientation in three-dimensional space. In addition, the controller has a built-in speaker and vibration mechanism, which provides additional feedback.
4. Sony PlayStation (102.5 million units sold)
Release date: December 3, 1994 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
- Tekken 3
- Gran Turismo
As strange as it may seem, the very first console of the PlayStation family took 4th place in the ranking of the best selling consoles. The console was released on December 3, 1994, in Japan, in the USA the prefix appeared on September 9, 1995, and in Europe on September 29, 1995. According to Sony’s 2009 financials from the archives (NeoGAF), the final total sales of the original PlayStation were 102.5 million, with over 960 million copies of games sold. In addition, a miniature version called PlayStation Classic was released on December 3, 2018, to celebrate the 24th anniversary of the original console, which includes 20 pre-installed games.
3. Nintendo Game Boy / Game Boy Color (119 Million Units Sold)
Release date: April 21, 1989 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (Metal Gear Solid)
- Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
- The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
Game Boy or Game Boy Color opens the top three best-selling consoles. The console, which was released in 1989, has sold nearly 119 million units.
2. Nintendo DS (154 Million Units Sold)
Release date: November 21, 2004 (discontinued)
The most popular games are:
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Flipnote Studio
- Chrono trigger
Nintendo DS is the next generation of Nintendo’s handheld consoles after the Game Boy Advance SP. It was released in 2004 in Canada, the USA, and Japan. According to the creators, Nintendo DS is the most productive console in terms of sales of games for it, the total number of copies of which has almost reached a million, and sales of the console itself have exceeded 154 million.
1. Sony PlayStation 2 (159 Million Units Sold)
Release date: March 4, 2000
The most popular games are:
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3
- Grant Theft Auto III
- Resident Evil 4
So, the ranking of the best-selling consoles closes the PlayStation 2. Sony has provided good support for the system from third-party game manufacturers. Even though the selection was not particularly impressive at the time of the console’s launch in 2000, several best-selling books and well-received games were released by the Christmas 2001 season. Therefore, this PS2 is still the bestseller among consoles. According to various sources, the console has sold between 155 and 159 million copies.
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