In the race for ever improved performance and better visual fidelity, what will come out on top as the best-selling video game console of all time in the world? Let’s take a look at the top 10, starting with:
10. Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) – 82.52 million units sold
Once upon a time, Sony made a solid attempt at a portable console, a market arguably dominated by Nintendo – before powerful smartphones and mobile gaming became more popularised. Considering the fact that it first launched in 2004-2005 and discontinued in 2014, and can still make the top 10 of this list, there could be a case to be made for Sony to revisit their portable console, if they have the right strategy.
9. Microsoft Xbox 360 – 85.73 million units sold
Despite Microsoft releasing a much more powerful successor to the 360 in the Xbox One series, the 360 has proven its staying power. The console itself launched in 2005, but in its early days, was plagued with technical issues. The Xbox brand ultimately weathered the storm, with the 360 getting discontinued in 2016 to give way to its younger sibling. Still, the Xbox brand has never quite seemed to capture the international audience, unlike the ubiquity of Microsoft’s Windows systems.
8. Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) – 87.4 million units sold
Rolling out for the world in 2006-2007 – back when simultaneous global console launches were more uncommon than today – the PS3 is, as you might expect, Sony’s third iteration of their home console. Its multiple pioneering innovations – first to use the Blu-ray disc as a primary storage medium, first with a built in HDMI port, and first console capable of 1080p resolution – made it very expensive to both purchase and produce for the time. As the console’s form was further refined with pragmatic cost-cutting measures – and its popularity boosted by critically acclaimed games available for it – it edged out the Xbox 360, before giving way to its successor and discontinued in 2017.
7. Nintendo Wii (Wii) – 101.63 million units sold
First launched in 2006, the Wii showed how Nintendo could compete with Microsoft and Sony; not in raw hardware power, but in innovation. The Wii’s wireless controller and focus on motion control proved to be a major gamechanger, as Microsoft and Sony tried their hands at their own motion control accessories via the Kinect and PlayStation Move respectively. Despite the Wii’s great success, its successor in the Wii U failed to achieve the same heights, and is considered to be a monumental failure in comparison (13.56 million units sold). The Wii was eventually discontinued in 2013.
6. Sony PlayStation (PS, PS1) – 102.49 million units sold
The ‘original’ PlayStation launched in 1994, developed by Sony after a failed venture with Nintendo to create a CD-ROM peripheral for the latter’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Its low retail price, extensive game library helped by popular franchises and aggressive marketing strategy greatly boosted sales, signalling Sony’s rise to power within the video game industry, which we can all see in the successive releases of PlayStation consoles. The PS1 would be discontinued worldwide in 2006.
5. Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4) – 117.20 million units sold
The successor to the PS3 launched in 2013-2014. While it was discontinued in Japan in 2024, units are still presently being produced for the rest of the world in 2025. It had more integrated social aspects with interactions through supported devices, online streaming, and even sharing gameplay remotely. It achieved critical acclaim thanks to being more powerful than its competitors, having less restrictions on digital rights management unlike Microsoft for Xbox and, crucially, met consumer needs.
4. Nintendo Game Boy (GB) – 118.69 million units sold
Launched in 1989-1990, this comparatively simplistic device would prove to become a cultural phenom in the video game space. The monochrome display would be an initial point of contention among critics, since its competitors had full-colour. Nevertheless, affordability, battery life, and an extensive game library was enough of a winning combination to propel the GB to prominence. It would see redesigns and be succeeded by the Game Boy Color to cumulatively make it the fourth best-selling video game console before its discontinuation in 2003.
3. Nintendo Switch (NS) – ~151.35 million units sold
Launched in 2017 with the Nintendo Switch 2 successor releasing June 2025, Nintendo makes this top 10 list with not only the newest kid on the block, but also looking to hit the number 1 spot in quick order. The system is a hybrid one: capable of being a powerful portable console with the option to ‘dock’ it like a typical home console. With touchscreen and motion controls, the NS is arguably a combination of Nintendo’s greatest hits in one machine, and one that may just cement Nintendo’s dominance in the current generation of consoles.
2. Nintendo DS (DS, NDS) – 154.02 million units sold
DS is an initial for “Developers’ System”, but you would likely associate it more with “Dual Screen” when you set eyes on the console. Launched in 2004-2005, the NDS is a portable console with two distinctive screens in a clamshell design, with the bottom being a touchscreen. While initially marketed as a complement to the Game Boy Advance (GBA, itself a successor to the Game Boy) and Nintendo’s GameCube home console, the NDS’ capability to play the GBA’s games and strong sales would establish it as a true successor to the Game Boy series. It would be discontinued in 2014, not before getting succeeded by the Nintendo 3DS in 2011.
1. Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2) – 160.01 million units sold
For this list, Sony can claim the ultimate crown of producing the best-selling video game console in the world. Launched in 2000, it was not only more powerful than its popular PS1 predecessor, it was a console with a built-in DVD drive that was cheaper than standalone players which further enhanced its value proposition. Since the PS2 could also play PS1 games, it had a library that far exceeded its competitors at launch. It also continued to get new games, even after the release of the PS3, before it was finally discontinued in 2013, boasting one of the longest lifespans in video game history.
When it comes to video game consoles, newer doesn’t automatically mean a better successor, at least when it comes to sales numbers. Whatever you may think about video games, these numbers alone show just how big the video game space can be.
How soon will Nintendo be able to claim the crown with so many of their ‘best-selling’ game consoles already in the top 10? Will Sony be able to out-innovate their competitors? What does Microsoft need to do to make the Xbox a global phenom? Market watchers and video game fans alike can make their guesses, and time will tell who will truly come out on top.
