List of best-selling game consoles


A video game console is a standardized computing device tailored for video gaming that requires a monitor or television set as an output. These self-contained pieces of electronic equipment weigh between on average, and their compact size allows them to be easily used in a variety of locations with an electrical outlet. Handheld controllers are commonly used as input devices. Video game consoles may use one or more storage media like hard disk drives, optical discs, and memory cards for content. Each are usually developed by a single business organization. Dedicated consoles are a subset of these devices only able to play built-in games. Video game consoles in general are also described as "dedicated" in distinction from the more versatile personal computer and other consumer electronics. Sanders Associates engineer Ralph H. Baer along with company employees Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch licensed their television gaming technology to contemporary major TV manufacturer Magnavox. This resulted in Magnavox Odyssey's 1972 release—the first commercially available video game console.
A handheld game console is a lightweight device with a built-in screen, games controls, speakers, and has greater portability than a standard video game console. It is capable of playing multiple games unlike tabletop and handheld electronic game devices. Tabletop and handheld electronic game devices of the 1970s and early 1980s are the precursors of handheld game consoles. Mattel introduced the first handheld electronic game with the 1977 release of Auto Race. Later, several companies—including Coleco and Milton Bradley—made their own single-game, lightweight tabletop or handheld electronic game devices. The oldest handheld game console with interchangeable cartridges is the Milton Bradley Microvision in 1979. Nintendo is credited with popularizing the handheld console concept with the Game Boy's release in 1989 and continues to dominate the handheld console market.

Best-selling game consoles

The following tables contain video game consoles and handheld game consoles that have sold at least units worldwide either through to consumers or inside retail channels. Each console include sales from every iteration unless otherwise noted. The years correspond to when the home or handheld game console was first released—excluding test markets. Each year links to the corresponding "year in video video games".

PlatformFirmReleasedUnits sold
PlayStation 2Sony2000155 million
Nintendo DS familyNintendo2004154.02 million
Game Boy & Game Boy ColorNintendo1989, 1998118.69 million
PlayStation 4 Sony2013110.4 million
PlayStationSony1994102.49 million
WiiNintendo2006101.63 million
PlayStation 3Sony200687.4 million
Xbox 360Microsoft200586 million
Game Boy Advance familyNintendo200181.51 million
PlayStation PortableSony200480–82 million
Nintendo 3DS family Nintendo201175.77 million
Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo198361.91 million
Nintendo Switch Nintendo201755.77 million
Xbox One Microsoft201350 million
Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo199049.1 million
Sega GenesisSega198835 million
Nintendo 64Nintendo199632.93 million
Atari 2600Atari197730 million
XboxMicrosoft200124 million
GameCubeNintendo200121.74 million
Wii UNintendo201213.56 million
Sega Game GearSega199010.62 million
PlayStation VitaSony201110–15 million
Master SystemSega198610–13 million
TurboGrafx-16NEC/Hudson Soft
198710 million
Sega SaturnSega19949.26 million
DreamcastSega19989.13 million
Super NES Classic Edition Nintendo20175.28 million
Sega PicoSega19933.4 million
WonderSwanBandai19993.5 million
Color TV-Game Nintendo19773 million
IntellivisionMattel19803 million
N-GageNokia20033 million
NES Classic Edition Nintendo20162.3 million
Dendy:ru:Steepler|Steepler/Micro Genius19922 million
ColecoVisionColeco19822 million
Magnavox Odyssey²Magnavox/Philips19782 million
Atari LynxAtari19891 million
Philips CD-iPhilips19911 million
Telstar Coleco19761 million
Atari 5200Atari19821 million

Home game consoles


PlatformFirmReleasedUnits sold
PlayStation 2Sony2000155 million
PlayStation 4 Sony2013110.4 million
PlayStationSony1994102.49 million
WiiNintendo2006101.63 million
PlayStation 3Sony200687.4 million
Xbox 360Microsoft200586 million
Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo198361.91 million
Nintendo Switch Nintendo201755.77 million
Xbox One Microsoft201350 million
Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemNintendo199049.10 million
Sega GenesisSega198835 million
Nintendo 64Nintendo199632.93 million
Atari 2600Atari197730 million
XboxMicrosoft200124 million
GameCubeNintendo200121.74 million
Wii UNintendo201213.56 million
Master SystemSega198610–13 million
TurboGrafx-16NEC/Hudson Soft
198710 million
Sega SaturnSega19949.26 million
DreamcastSega19989.13 million
Sega PicoSega19933.4 million
IntellivisionMattel19803 million
ColecoVisionColeco19822 million
Magnavox Odyssey²Magnavox/Philips19782 million
Philips CD-iPhilips19911 million
Atari 5200Atari19821 million

Handheld game consoles


PlatformFirmReleasedUnits sold
Nintendo DS familyNintendo2004154.02 million
Game Boy Advance familyNintendo200181.51 million
PlayStation PortableSony200480–82 million
Nintendo 3DS family Nintendo201175.77 million
Game BoyNintendo198964.42 million
Nintendo Switch Nintendo201755.77 million
Game Boy ColorNintendo1998<54.27 million
Sega Game GearSega199010.62 million
PlayStation VitaSony201110–15 million
N-GageNokia20033 million
WonderSwan ColorBandai20001.9 million
WonderSwanBandai19991.5 million
Atari LynxAtari19891 million

Dedicated consoles


PlatformFirmReleasedUnits sold
Super NES Classic EditionNintendo20175.28 million
Color TV GameNintendo19773 million
NES Classic EditionNintendo20162.3 million
TelstarColeco19761 million

Total console sales by firm

Total amount of every console with at least 1 million units sold.
ManufacturerHome
console sales		Handheld
console sales		Total sales
Nintendo317.74 million429.9 million754 million
Sony>444.89 million> million>534.9 million
Microsoft149 million–149 million
Sega– million> million> million
Atari31 million>1 million>32 million
Hudson Soft/NEC10 million–10 million
Bandai–3.5 million3.5 million
Coleco> million–>3 million
Magnavox/Philips>3 million–>3 million
Mattel3 million–3 million
Nokia–3 million3 million