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.
9. Xbox 360 – 85.73 million
The first of Microsoft’s consoles to appear on this list, the Xbox 360 first hit the market in 2005 – two years ahead of the PS3. Unfortunately, Microsoft stopped publicly disclosing how many individual consoles were sold, with best estimates placing the total number around 85.73 million making it the ninth best selling console of all time. | dennizn - stock.adobe.com
10. PlayStation Portable (PSP) – 82.5 million
Upon its release in 2004, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) was conceived as a challenger to Nintendo's handheld consoles. The PSP’s advanced graphics capabilities – as well as its abilities to connect to the PS2 and PS3 – meant it sold more than 82.5 million units by the end of its lifespan in 2014. | Fernando - stock.adobe.com
11. Game Boy Advance – 81.51 million
Released a few years after the Game Boy Colour, the Game Boy Advance offered players improved processing and graphics power as well as maintaining backwards compatibility. It was produced from 2001 until 2010, with more than 81.51 million consoles sold. | Getty Images
12. Nintendo 3DS – 75.94 million
The successor to Nintendo’s best selling DS system, the Nintendo 3DS was released in 2011 with Sony’s PlayStation Vita its main competitor. As of December 2024, 75.94 million Nintendo 3DS consoles were sold during its lifetime. | Getty Images