It is set to be a huge year for game consoles with the Nintendo Switch 2 having been announced and Grand Theft Auto 6 arriving on PlayStation and Xbox ahead of PC.
Whether your first experience of playing games was on a handheld device or on a more traditional home machine, consoles have only gotten better as time has went on.
While the PlayStation 2 continues its reign as the best-selling video game console of all time, sales of Sony’s PS5 have climbed since it first came out in 2020. Despite this, the current generation console hasn’t been able to beat out its predecessor and the newest console to make the top 5 is the Nintendo Switch.
With the Switch 2 hitting shelves later this year, here we take a look at the best-selling games consoles of all time.
13. PlayStation 5 (PS5) – 75 million
The first current generation console to appear on this list is the PlayStation 5. For the first two years following its release in 2020, Sony faced issues with manufacturing the console due to a semiconductor chip shortage. Now, as of the end of 2024, around 75 million PS5 consoles have shipped worldwide. | CNISAK - stock.adobe.com
14. Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – 61.91 million
Having been overtaken by the PS5, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – or Famicom – is a classic games console which was released in 1983. With titles including Space Invaders and Super Mario Bros., there were 61.91 million sold during its lifespan according to official Nintendo figures. | Luciano_Marques - stock.adobe.com
15. Xbox One – 58 million
Microsoft released the Xbox One the same year as the PS4, with the console named for its intention to be an “all-in-one entertainment system”. While there have been no official sales figures released by Microsoft, by the time it was discontinued in 2020 it is estimated that there were more than 58 million consoles sold. | Proxima Studio - stock.adobe.com
16. Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) – 49.1 million
Nintendo’s follow up to the NES, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - also known as the Super Famicom - was first released in 1990 and is best remembered for its library of games which punched above its weight. The console wasn’t as much of a commercial success as its predecessor, but according to Nintendo it sold 49.1 million units worldwide. | M-Production - stock.adobe.com