According to Eurogamer.net, the Nintendo Switch is about to become Nintendo’s best-selling games machine ever, needing just 10,000 more sales to surpass the Nintendo DS’s 154.02 million lifetime sales. The Switch has already reached 154.01 million units sold according to Nintendo’s official figures, putting it on track to potentially dethrone PlayStation 2 as the best-selling console of all time. Sony’s iconic PlayStation 2 sold “more than 160 million” units according to Sony’s investor data, a record that has stood for decades. This comes as Microsoft abandons the traditional console battle by publishing Xbox games everywhere, while Sony appears to be developing a handheld device. The Switch 2 has reportedly launched at an even faster pace than its predecessor, breaking records out of the gate.
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Nintendo’s quiet revolution
Here’s the thing: while everyone was arguing about teraflops and 4K resolution, Nintendo completely redefined what a console could be. Remember the Wii U? That was Nintendo’s worst-performing console ever, and it forced the company to innovate its way out of trouble. They basically looked at the traditional console arms race between Sony and Microsoft and said “nah, we’ll do our own thing.”
And that thing was the Switch – a hybrid device that works as both a handheld and a home console. It wasn’t the most powerful machine on the market, but it offered something nobody else did: flexibility. You could play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on your TV, then undock it and continue playing on the bus. That simple idea turned out to be revolutionary.
The console crisis nobody talks about
Meanwhile, the traditional console market is having what Eurogamer calls “a wobble.” Microsoft has essentially given up competing directly with Sony, choosing instead to put Xbox games on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Sony’s doing better with PlayStation 5 sales, but even they’re reportedly working on a handheld device that looks suspiciously Switch-like.
Production costs are skyrocketing, console prices are actually going up after launch for the first time ever, and phones have become the true entry-level gaming devices. The whole business model that sustained consoles for decades is showing cracks. But Nintendo? They’re just cartwheeling through the chaos with record-breaking sales.
Why Switch succeeded where others struggle
The genius of the Switch was that it solved multiple problems at once. For families, it meant you didn’t have to fight over the TV. For commuters, it brought proper console gaming on the go. For developers, it created a massive installed base without the pressure of competing on pure graphical power.
And now we’re seeing the ultimate validation: everyone’s copying the formula. The Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and that rumored Sony handheld all follow the same hybrid concept Nintendo pioneered eight years ago. It’s the ultimate “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” moment, even if nobody’s publicly admitting it.
What this means for gaming’s future
So where does this leave us? The next generation of consoles will probably look very different. Microsoft seems to be moving toward Xbox as a platform rather than dedicated hardware. Sony will likely stick with traditional consoles but expand into handhelds. And Nintendo? They’ll keep doing their own thing, quietly innovating while everyone else plays catch-up.
The real lesson here is that raw power doesn’t always win. Creativity, innovation, and understanding what players actually want sometimes matters more. While Sony and Microsoft were busy measuring their specs, Nintendo was reimagining what gaming could be. And honestly? That approach seems to be working pretty well for them.
