With the Nintendo Switch 2, the next generation of consoles has already appeared on the market. But Nintendo’s history goes back much further. Whether NES, SNES, Game Boy or Wii – the Japanese game manufacturer has released some real cult consoles over the past few decades. Some sold like hot cakes, others fell far short of expectations. But which Nintendo console was ultimately the biggest sales hit? We show you the nine most successful Nintendo systems in the ranking.

9th place: Nintendo 64

• Consoles sold worldwide: 32.93 million units

The Nintendo 64 is still considered a real cult console today. No wonder, after all, milestones like Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64 and Banjo-Kazooie were released.

However, the N64 never became a real bestseller. Back then, Nintendo simply lost out against the all-powerful PlayStation. However, this has not changed his legendary status to this day.

8th place: Super Nintendo (SNES)

• Consoles sold worldwide: 49.1 million units

The direct N64 predecessor did significantly better: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES for short. The console sold almost 50 million units worldwide and produced some of the best games of its time.

7th place: NES

• Consoles sold worldwide: 61.91 million units

Bronze for the older semesters? Not quite. The NES “only” came in 7th place, but it still made video game history.

The company achieved its international breakthrough with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Series such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda and Metroid were also created here, which continue to shape Nintendo to this day. The NES was also instrumental in revitalizing the North American console market after the video game crash of the early 1980s.

6th place: Nintendo 3DS

• Consoles sold worldwide: 75.94 million units

The Nintendo 3DS was supposed to cause a sensation with its glasses-free 3D effect. Although the feature became less important after a while, the success of the console remained largely unaffected.

Strong games in particular, such as Pokémon

5th place: Game Boy Advance

• Consoles sold worldwide: 81.51 million units

With the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo took its successful handheld series to the next level. More power, a larger display and, on top of that, backwards compatibility with many Game Boy games – few could resist that.

4th place: Wii

• Consoles sold worldwide: 101.63 million units

For a long time there was no way around the Wii. The console technically couldn’t compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360, but its motion controls offered a unique selling point that thrilled millions of gamers.

Wii Sports in particular made the console a hit in living rooms around the world. For many years, the Wii was Nintendo’s most successful console – until another one finally took over the throne.

3rd place: Game Boy & Game Boy Color

• Consoles sold worldwide: 118.69 million units

The Game Boy is without a doubt one of the most influential handhelds of all time. Nintendo combines the sales figures of Game Boy and Game Boy Color and together the duo has sold an impressive 118.69 million devices.

2nd place: Nintendo DS

• Consoles sold worldwide: 154.02 million units

Two screens? Touchscreen? When Nintendo introduced the DS, many people were initially skeptical. But the doubts quickly disappeared.

With games like Nintendogs, Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario Bros. and countless Pokémon adventures, the handheld became a huge success. For a long time, the Nintendo DS even led the internal sales rankings – until it finally had to give up its top spot.

1st place: Nintendo Switch

• Consoles sold worldwide: 155.92 million units

And there it is: Nintendo’s sales king. After years of catching up, the Nintendo Switch has now overtaken the DS and is with it 155.92 million copies sold officially the company’s most successful console.

The hybrid concept proved to be an absolute hit. At home on the TV or on the go in handheld mode – the Switch offered the best of both worlds. Together with games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the console became a real phenomenon. In 2006, very few people would have thought that the Wii would eventually lose its top spot. Today the Switch is at the top – and is even expanding its lead.

The successor, the Switch 2, is already on retail shelves, but the new console is still nowhere near this record. Although it sold extremely well at launch, with almost 20 million copies it is currently still far behind the first Switch. Whether it will one day also penetrate these regions will only become apparent in the coming years.