Switch Best-Selling Console of All-Time Ranking Rises to #6

There’s a lot to love about the Nintendo Switch. The console is still selling well across the world, but Japan is especially loving its offerings. The country recently pushed the Switch into a higher best-selling console of all-time ranking than its original home video game console. That’s a huge achievement decades after its founding. If you’re still waiting to grab your first Switch, then you’re not alone. Many worried this console would be a gimmick, but that’s far from fact. Here’s what we can tell already about the Switch’s historic sales.

Switch Best-Selling Console of All-Time Ranking Surpasses the Famicom

Image Credit: Nintendo

In a great post from Video Game Charts, the account chronicled the official rise of the Switch in the best-selling console of all-time ranking. These rankings are for Japan, so they don’t include global sales. That said, the newest Nintendo console surpassed its first console ever, the Famicom, to take the spot. The tweet also notes that the Switch is likely to continue climbing this year. As mentioned in the post, the Switch should grab the “5th spot from PSP on May 4th from PS2 taken around Nov. (with Pokémon) 3rd from 3DS taken mid-2022.”

The next batch of consoles will be a bit tougher to beat. The Game Boy is a titan that survived for quite a long time thanks to its huge library. Likewise, the DS took Japan by storm when it released. The use of 3DS and DS consoles to this day is still common. Here in the United States, the Switch sits behind a few PlayStation iterations and Nintendo consoles. The Switch ranking of all-time sales for the Americas sits at 9th.

Can the Switch Continue its Run of Success?

Image Credit: Nintendo

Without a doubt, the Nintendo Switch is a success for the company. The question becomes whether it can sustain its influence in gaming. 2021 is an odd year for title releases on the console. With seemingly no Breath of the Wild 2 coming before the holidays if even then, the release lineup is a bit weak. We did get Monster Hunter Rise which was quite good. There was also the release of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Some notable game releases in the latter half of the year include more niche titles. No doubt a Diamond and Pearl remake announced at the Pokemon Presents event earlier this year is a huge draw. Other releases like Mario Golf Super Rush might be more hit or miss with fans.

Apart from games, the console will likely get a “pro version” at some point. Company execs state that no new Nintendo Switch is coming in the near future. That said, it still is likely at some point past 2022. The Switch Lite line of consoles recently got a new Blue Nintendo Switch Lite that looks really great. While the console can’t work on TVs, the handheld consoles Nintendo releases clearly bode well for sales. With the top two best-selling consoles of all-time being handled, the ranking of the Switch could likely rise thanks to the Lite.

Featured Image Credit: Nintendo

Taylor is the Gaming Editor of Comic Years and a lifelong fan of video games. He holds two degrees in Political Communication and wrote a Master's Thesis on resistance movements, race, and the exploitation of college athletes. His wife and two Toy Australian Sheppards keep him sane.