Can Nintendo Switch Sales Catch The PlayStation 2?

Over two decades since its release, Sony's PlayStation 2 continues to be the king of video game consoles. It holds the title of best-selling gaming console of all time, having sold more than 155 million units worldwide, according to Sony. The only console that comes close, and even then with a big asterisk, is the Nintendo DS with 154 million units, but that one is a handheld console.

That means that the only console with a shot at taking the crown is the third best-selling console of all time (if you count the DS), which as of today's writing is the Nintendo Switch. According to Nintendo's latest report, the Switch has sold 129.53 million units as of June 30, 2023. This includes 3.91 million units in the April-June quarter, which is a 13.9% increase compared to the same time last year. This would indicate that the Switch is well on its way to claiming the best-selling title by sometime next year, but can Nintendo catch up to the PS2?

There are some roadblocks on the way. For one, even if Nintendo reports an increase in sales in Japan compared to last year, the global Switch sales are slowing down, and Nintendo is projected to sell fewer consoles in the current financial year than it did last.

Then there are the reports that Nintendo's new console is coming at some point in 2024. This would make sense since the Switch is now older than the Wii U was when the Switch replaced it. The question becomes, can Nintendo keep selling Switch units if people know there is a new console around the corner?

As we covered before, the Switch is still very much worth buying in 2023, and the public seems to agree given the rise in sales this past quarter. A big reason for this is arguably Nintendo's highly anticipated and very successful launch of "The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom." According to a Nintendo financial report, "Tears of the Kingdom" has sold more than 18 million units since its launch in May.

Nintendo's strategy seems to be to just squeeze out as many Nintendo Switch sales as they possibly can before even talking about a new console. In the latest financial report, the company describes its goal of "not only to put one system in every home, but several in every home, or even one for every person." It doesn't hurt that the company has several anticipated games coming in the rest of 2023, like "Super Mario RPG," and "Super Mario Bros. Wonder" in the Fall, which would get a sales bump from the success of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." 

One big thing to note is that the Switch hasn't seen a price cut since its initial release, so if it gets one before the release of the Switch 2 it could even the scales.