We hate to say "told you so," but the Nintendo Switch has continued its upwards trajectory and has now overtaken the Game Boy Advance in terms of unit sales. We had an inkling this successful run would continue.
Nintendo Switch Overtakes Game Boy Advance Sales
Nintendo and its popular Switch console seem to be an unstoppable force in the world of gaming right now. Even Nintendo's past consoles are cowering in fear as the Switch looms over them, threatening to steal their sales figures.
And that is just what the Game Boy Advance (GBA) just experienced—on its 20th anniversary year, no less—with the Switch overtaking the console in unit sales by a whopping 3 million. All this in a year when it has already overtaken the 3DS.
Looks like you're next, Nintendo Wii!
How Many Switches Has Nintendo Sold?
At the last count-up, which you can find via the Nintendo Investor Relations page, you can see that Nintendo has shipped 84.59 million Switch (and Switch Lite) consoles since launch in 2017 (and 2019 for the Lite).
By contrast, the GBA sold 81.51 million consoles during its lifetime, 3.08 million less than the Switch.
The Wii is currently the third best-selling Nintendo console in history (and is still by far the best way to play Resident Evil 4, popping off Los Ganados from a mile away with the Magnum equipped is incredibly satisfying) with 101.63 million unit sales.
So, with these figures in mind, can Nintendo maintain this momentum and bring the Switch to the top three before it releases the Switch Pro in 2021? We'll have to see, but our bets are on that it will.
What Nintendo Consoles Are in the Top 3?
Well, we've already mentioned the Wii, which currently sits in a precarious third place. Next is the original Game Boy, which sold an astounding 118.69 million units during its life cycle; an impressive number in itself.
However, which console sits on the top of the pile? Well, that would be the innovative Nintendo DS, which made use of a stylus and dual screens to play a lot of its games. This pocket rocket reached 154.02 million units in its lifetime.
So, the Switch and Switch Lite have a way to go to reach the dizzy heights that the DS currently resides at. However, Nintendo may have a trick up its sleeve, here...
Will the Switch Reach Number One Spot?
That remains for us to see. However, with the Switch Pro on the way, will Nintendo still class this as a Switch, and therefore include it in the Switch sale figures, or will it treat it as a separate product?
Nintendo already lumped the Game Boy and Game Boy Color together, and the Switch with the Switch Lite, so we may well see the Switch hitting top spot if the Pro forms part of the Switch's current sales figures (you heard it here first).
In the meantime, there is ample opportunity for you to grab your own Switch and see what the console has available.