Nintendo Hitting Its Switch Goals Will Put It Within Striking Distance of the PS2

Nintendo’s latest Switch sales projections could bring it extremely close to beating out the PlayStation 2 as the highest-selling console of all time. The Nintendo Switch has been shattering sales records left and right since it first launched back in 2017, surpassing the Nintendo DS as the best-selling system in Japan and outselling other landmark Nintendo platforms like the original Game Boy and the Nintendo Wii.

The latest Nintendo Switch sales numbers from the 2024 fiscal year were recently revealed during a financial earnings release, with 15.70 million sold over the past several months. While this is a slight drop from the Switch’s 2023 fiscal year numbers, it does elevate the console to 141.32 million units sold in total since March 2017, bringing the Switch to second place among the Big N’s legendary line-up of consoles and gaming handhelds.

Nintendo also revealed its sales goals for the next fiscal year during this latest report, and they could very well bring the Nintendo Switch closer than ever to becoming the highest-selling video game console of all time. As noted by Reddit user Paperdiego on r/NintendoSwitch, Nintendo wishes to sell 13.5 million Switch units over the coming year, bringing the console’s total to 154.82 million. This would be just 188,000 units shy of passing the record currently set by the PlayStation 2, which has sold 155 million units since 2000.

Other Reddit users have pointed out that the Nintendo Switch will continue to be sold even after the recently-confirmed Switch 2 hits the market, meaning that if the original Switch doesn’t clear the PS2’s record this year, it will in the future. The Nintendo Switch owes its massive financial success to a variety of different factors, including its novel blend of traditional and portable gaming and a laundry list of breakout first-party exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Odyssey. Last year’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie has also helped boost Switch sales