10 Best-Selling Video Game Consoles of All Time

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The video game industry is huge, earning about $200 billion each year. While game software makes up the majority of those earnings, hardware sales – things like consoles – are still a major part of the market and have been for a long time. It’s interesting to look at how many consoles have been sold throughout history, and some have been incredibly popular. Here are the ten best-selling video game consoles of all time, listed from least to most units sold.

10) Xbox One

The Xbox One got off to a rocky start because Microsoft initially required every console to include the Kinect. However, despite the initial issues, the Xbox One ultimately proved to be a commercial success. Microsoft eventually realized the Kinect was a barrier to sales and removed it as a requirement, which lowered the console’s price and attracted more buyers. Available from 2013 to 2020, the Xbox One sold a total of 58 million units. This is significantly more than the current sales of the newer Xbox Series X|S, which has sold approximately 33-34 million units to date.

9) Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is a hugely influential console that played a vital role in reviving the video game industry after a major downturn in 1983. It established Nintendo as a major force in gaming and brought video games into homes across the United States. Many different versions of the NES were released, often packaged with various games. In total, Nintendo sold approximately 61.91 million NES consoles and around 500 million games, making it a key factor in the industry’s recovery.

8) Xbox 360

Microsoft’s first Xbox was a hit, establishing the company in the gaming world, but the Xbox 360 was a substantial upgrade. It boasted improved features, a more comfortable controller, a wider selection of games, and a stronger emphasis on online play. While the console was initially plagued by hardware issues—famously known as the “Red Ring of Death”—Microsoft addressed these with an extended warranty. Ultimately, the Xbox 360 was a very impressive console, remaining popular for over a decade, from 2005 to 2016, and selling 84 million units. Surprisingly, its best-selling game was Kinect Adventures!, followed closely by GTA V.

7) PlayStation 3

While the PlayStation 3 was Sony’s least successful console in terms of sales, it still sold a remarkable 87.4 million units. When it launched, the PS3 was ahead of its time, being the first console to use Blu-ray discs and offer 1080p HDMI output. However, its initial price of $599 (equivalent to $981 today) was a major barrier for many gamers. Sony eventually addressed this with more affordable versions like the Slim, Super Slim, and a 20 GB model. Despite the high cost at launch, the PS3 ultimately outsold Microsoft’s best-selling console by several million units.

6) PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 is the most powerful gaming console available. It used to be very difficult to find in stores due to people reselling them at inflated prices, but those issues have mostly been resolved. Despite recent price increases caused by higher costs for parts, the PS5 is still selling very well. It features an amazing controller and comes in different versions, ranging in price from $399 to $699. As of today, over 92.2 million PS5 consoles have been sold since its 2020 release – an impressive number considering it’s only been on the market for about 5.5 years.

5) Wii

Nintendo struggled with its GameCube in the early 2000s, but they found massive success with the Wii. Released in 2006 and available until 2013 in some regions, the Wii was a huge hit with players of all ages. Its unique motion controls attracted many new gamers, and it ultimately sold over 101.6 million units. While the GameCube didn’t compete well with other consoles, the Wii completely dominated the market.

4) PlayStation

The PlayStation came about after a disagreement between Sony and Nintendo. They had initially collaborated on a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Nintendo, but when that partnership ended, Sony decided to create its own console instead. While Nintendo might have later wished they’d continued working with Sony—as Sony became a major competitor—that deal is now history. The PlayStation was groundbreaking for its time, particularly for its use of 3D graphics, and boasted a huge collection of over 4,000 games. From 1994 to 2006, nearly 102.5 million PlayStation consoles were sold.

3) PlayStation 4

The PlayStation 4, Sony’s eighth home video game console, was a major competitor to the Nintendo Wii U and Xbox One. While the Nintendo Switch also posed a challenge, the PlayStation 4 generally dominated this generation of consoles. It was known for its speed and featured Remote Play with the PlayStation Vita handheld. The console also came with a redesigned controller that was an improvement over the previous version. Released in 2013 and discontinued in 2024, the PlayStation 4 sold approximately 117.2 million units, including one million within the first day of its launch.

2) Nintendo Switch

Nintendo struck gold with the Wii, but the follow-up, the Wii U, didn’t perform as well. They took those lessons to heart and launched the Nintendo Switch in 2017, which quickly became a huge success. While it wasn’t the most powerful console on the market, it didn’t need to be. The Switch, a unique system that could be played both on the go and at home, perfectly appealed to its players. With several different models available and a reasonable price, the Switch proved incredibly popular. As of today, Nintendo has sold over 155.4 million Switch consoles, making it their best-selling system ever.

1) PlayStation 2

I remember when the original PlayStation came out – it was incredible for its time! But the PlayStation 2? That console completely blew everything away. It was so much more powerful, and the fact that it played DVDs and all my old PlayStation games was a huge deal. None of the other consoles like the Dreamcast, Xbox, or GameCube could do that at launch. But it wasn’t just that initial advantage; the PS2 built up an absolutely massive library of games – over 4,000 titles! So many of those games are still considered classics. It’s no surprise that the PS2 is still the best-selling console ever, with over 160 million sold between 2000 and 2013. It really was something special.

What’s the best-selling game console of all time, in your opinion? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-05-01 16:14