Switch 2 Eclipses Iconic Console's Lifetime Sales, After Just A Year

It Only Took A Year For The Switch 2 To Outsell The GameCube Published Aug 6, 2026, 5:38 AM EDT Sign in to your TheGamer account With 156.59 million sales, the success of the original Nintendo Switch is unquestionable. It's one of the best-selling consoles ever and proved a massive return to form for Nintendo following the Wii U's relative underperformance. However, there were question marks surrounding the release of the console's successor, 2025's Nintendo Switch 2. Would people be interested in a console with the same gimmick as its predecessor? Would Nintendo have the immediate catalogue of games necessary to entice people to switch from the original Switch to the Switch 2? The Switch 2 Is Off To A Great Start The answer is a resounding yes, as lifetime sales of the Switch 2 have now eclipsed those of the Nintendo GameCube. According to new statistics released by Nintendo, the Switch 2 has sold 23.68 million units compared to the GameCube's 21.74 million units. A full list of the lifetime sales of each Nintendo console can be seen below. Nintendo Switch: 156.59 Million Nintendo DS: 154.02 Million Game Boy: 118.69 Million Wii: 101.63 Million Game Boy Advance: 81.51 Million Nintendo 3DS: 75.94 Million NES: 61.91 Million SNES: 49.10 Million Nintendo 64: 32.93 Million Nintendo Switch 2: 23.68 Million Nintendo GameCube: 21.74 Million The Switch 2 is actually outperforming the original Switch, which sold only 17 million units in its first year on the market. However, the Switch 2 seems destined to encounter production issues in the near future because of the ongoing global memory crisis, which is predicted to worsen in the coming years. If the Switch 2 becomes more expensive to produce, the cost will eventually pass to the consumer. Nintendo won't indefinitely subsidise the console because it affects the company's share price, which is down over 40 per cent this year due to this uncertainty surrounding console manufacturing. Still, Nintendo releasing the Switch 2 right before the memory crisis exploded is fortuitous, as a portion of their consumer base already own the console, which means they can continue to purchase software without worrying about rising prices. PlayStation, Xbox and new competitors like the Steam Machine are all set to be greatly affected by the memory crisis. In the case of the former two, their plans for next-gen consoles have almost certainly been greatly disrupted. Brand Nintendo Original Release Date June 5, 2025 Original MSRP (USD) $449.99 Operating System Proprietary