The winner of the outgoing console generation (pic: Nintendo)



The Nintendo Switch has sold more than 122 million consoles, passing the Game Boy and PS4 and beaten only by the DS and PS2.



Nintendo started the previous generation in the worst way possible, with the launch of the Wii U being so disastrous that after a few years they had to ditch it and try again with the hybrid concept of the Switch.



Considering that gave the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 a more than three year head start it seemed impossible that the Switch could ever catch up and yet within a few years it surpassed the Xbox One and now it’s sailed past the PlayStation 4 – with the Nintendo Switch’s lifetime total currently standing at 122.55 million consoles.



According to Nintendo’s latest financial results the Switch beat the PlayStation 4’s total of 117.2 million, as well as the 118.69 million of the fourth placed Game Boy. That makes the Switch officially the third most successful console ever, behind only the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2.



The DS and PlayStation 2 are on 154.02 million and 158.70 million, respectively, and while it once would’ve seemed unimaginable that the Switch could beat them as well, all bets are now off.



It is probably unlikely though, as Switch sales have been declining for a while now and over Christmas were down 21.3% on the previous year. That is partly due to component shortage though and Nintendo recently revealed that they were planning to up production this year.



Even so, with software sales also down by 4%, it’s clear that the time for the Switch 2 , or whatever Nintendo might call their new console, is fast approaching. Especially as Nintendo has lowered its forecasts for the second quarter in a row.



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They’ve not exactly got much to worry about though, as Pokémon Scarlet and Violet has already become the fourth highest selling Pokémon game ever, with 20.61 million games sold in just six weeks.



That gives it a good chance of beating the original Red and Green, on 31.38 million, and it’ll almost certainly pass Sword and Shield’s second place total of 25.68 million within a few months.



That would make it at least the fifth highest selling game on the Switch, with Zelda: Breath Of The Wild currently the fourth (29.0 million), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate the third (30.44 million), Animal Crossing: New Horizons the second (41.59 million) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe number one on a staggering 52.0 million.









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