The Nintendo Switch just hit 155.92 million units sold as of March 31, 2026, and the PlayStation 2's long-standing crown as the best-selling console of all time is suddenly looking very fragile.
Switch closing in on PS2 record
That PS2 record sits at 160 million units, a number that former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan confirmed on a podcast before Sony quietly updated its official PlayStation history page in 2024. For years, that figure felt untouchable. Right now, the gap is fewer than 5 million consoles.
How the Switch got here
This is Nintendo's best-selling console of all time, having already cleared the Nintendo DS (154 million lifetime sales) some time ago. The Switch launched in 2017 and has kept selling through a period when most hardware generations would have wound down. Nine years of consistent momentum is genuinely rare in this industry.
Here's the thing: the Switch 2 is already out and selling well, with 19.86 million units moved as of March 31, 2026. The original hardware still selling in meaningful numbers alongside a successor says a lot about how Nintendo has positioned the platform. Price helped. So did the library.
The math on beating 160 million
Four to five million units is not a steep climb for hardware with this kind of staying power, but it is not guaranteed either. Nintendo has announced price increases across all Switch models in the US, with further hikes confirmed for Japan, one of the Switch's strongest markets. Higher prices at this stage of a console's life cycle tend to suppress sales rather than sustain them.
Sony's PS2 figure was revised upward in 2024 from an earlier reported 155 million to the current 160 million total, after the final PS2 unit was manufactured. The Switch was already closing in before that revision made the target even harder to hit.
Nintendo is also projecting that Switch 2 hardware sales will slow in year two, estimating around 16.5 million units for the next fiscal period due to global economic pressures. That context matters because the two platforms are now competing for shelf space and consumer attention simultaneously.
What the PS2 record actually represents
The PS2 sold across a remarkably long window, from 2000 through to production ending in 2013. Its longevity was partly driven by its role as an affordable DVD player in markets where standalone players were expensive. The Switch's longevity is driven by something different: a genuinely strong software library and a form factor that fit how people actually wanted to play games in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
The comparison is worth making because both consoles succeeded for structural reasons, not just because they had a few hit games. That makes the Switch's challenge feel earned rather than accidental.
For a full breakdown of the best games driving those sales numbers, the gaming guides section has you covered. And if you want context on how the Switch 2 is stacking up against the competition right now, check out the latest game reviews for the platform.
The next Nintendo financial results briefing will be the one to watch. If Switch sales keep their pace through the back half of 2026 despite the price increases, the PS2 record could fall before the year is out.
