20 Best Selling Video Game Consoles

Gaming is indeed an interesting pastime because gamers get console upgrades every 3 – 5 years to enhance their enjoyment of games as technology advances.

Gaming technology has advanced since the 70s with the Atari and 80s with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since now, they’re characterized by incredible features and advanced hardware to immerse you in mind-blowing virtual experiences.

Although everyone’s needs are different, it all boils down to whether a console suits your needs.

To get a feel of what’s there, check out this comprehensive list of 20 best selling video game consoles.

A list of 20 best selling video game consoles 

1. PlayStation 2 was manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment and released in 2000. It succeeded the original PlayStation as the second installment in their PlayStation lineup.

What’s outstanding about it is that it’s the best selling console in history. Its success is attributed to a wide selection of games that were unique and child friendly.

Other endearing qualities were its backward compatibility that meant gamers could play their PS1 games. Its lengthy run from 2000 to 2013 addressed the issues faced by consoles at the time, which was to take market share and be the favorite console. To date, it has sold 155 million units.

2. Nintendo DS, DS being short for “Developers’ System” or “Dual Screen” represents a cluster of handheld game consoles by Nintendo. Notably, it has had four different models: the original Nintendo DS, the Nintendo DS Lite, the Nintendo DSi, and the XL variant.

This console stands out for introducing exclusive new features to handheld gaming. Due to a welcoming interface, non-gamers are receptive to it. They don’t need to be nimble at gaming as it has a stylus to jab at the screen. Add to this a minimalist design and a wide variety of content. There’s no doubt that this console has a wide appeal.

With over 154 million units sold worldwide, these DS models come only second to the PS2.

3. Game Boy made for stunning success when it was released by Nintendo in 1989. This was surprising because it was hardly a looker and in no way a match for its peers at the time, especially technologically. 

But it packed a punch for its portability, long battery life, sturdy build, directional pad, game buttons, and green screen that made it easy to play.

The console also enjoyed massive marketing. It was affordable and had Tetris, a highly popular game in the 80s, for its visual and intellectual stimulation and challenge.

Game Boy is fondly remembered as the platform that started the Pokemon craze, which is still a thing to date. It has sold over 120 million units and in 2009 was inducted into the toy hall of fame.

4. PS4 is a valuable home entertainment unit throughout the world. It’s beloved for the amazing graphics, a controller with a touchpad that makes typing easy, exclusive games, and it also happens to be user friendly because all you need to do is install and play in a simple interface that vividly brings the game to life.

With this console, you can record clips or take screenshots. This to share using the share button on the controller. You can also use the share factory app, which allows you to edit those clips into a complete video and post on YouTube or any other video site.

PS4 was launched in 2013 by Sony Computer Entertainment and is the fourth best selling game system of all time, with over 110 million units sold. Interested in buying a used PS4, check out this article.

5. Playstation from Sony belongs to the fifth generation of Sony consoles and the first in the line of PlayStation consoles. It’s special because it pioneered Sony’s rise in the video game universe. 

With these console models, Sony replaced Nintendo as the supreme game machine maker and made realistic 3D games a reality. It was launched in 1994 in Japan and worldwide the following year. It had an exemplary run for 11 years before it was discontinued in 2006.

6. Nintendo Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. It was such a phenomenon because it broke new ground by being the first console to introduce the wireless controller that fully integrated and relied on motion controls.

This innovation was so enthralling that non-gamers were now able to play and enjoy the experience. It has backward compatibility to play Nintendo consoles and SEGA consoles such as NES, Genesis, GameCube, Nintendo 64, SNES, and TurboGarfx-16.

Selling over 100 million units, the Wii is one of the most successful consoles of all time, boasting memorable games such as ‘Wii Sports’ and ‘Mario Kart Wii.’

7. PlayStation 3, which succeeded the PS2, was first released in 2006 and was Sony’s flagship product of the seventh generation of video game consoles. It stood out for the ability to enable users to go online and interact with others during play via the PlayStation network. 

It has the best games that boasted a wide range of exclusives like ‘Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ and ‘Resistance: Fall of Man.’ Another exciting feature was a built-in Blu Ray High Definition disc player. It made it possible to play new HD Blu-ray movies, PS3 games, CDs, and DVDs. So far, over 84.7 million units have been sold.

8. Xbox 360 is the second console in this Microsoft Xbox series developed in 2005 as a successor to the original Xbox. It broke Sony’s 11-year domination by transforming the landscape of triple-A titles, heralding the new era of HD games.

Beyond its primary role as a home video game console, the Xbox 360 is a total media center that allows users to play, network, rip, stream and download all types of media; including high-definition movies, music, digital pictures, and game content.

On April 20, 2016, Microsoft announced it would end production of Xbox 360 hardware with sales realization of over 70 million consoles.

9. Game Boy Advance launched almost 20 years ago in Japan and was Nintendo’s third handheld game platform. In the US, it was on the market for seven years and was released in 3 major hardware variations. 

It played games comparable to the NES, supported a huge and successful software library. It also inspired innovative and unusual peripherals like the GameCube–Game Boy Advance Link Cable, the e-Reader card reader accessory, and a multiplayer link cable.

It was completely discontinued worldwide in 2010 and has sold to date over 81.51 million units.

10. PlayStation Portable (PSP) was superbly recognized as the most powerful handheld console ever released when launched in Japan on December 12, 2004. Being a seventh-generation console, it competed with Nintendo’s handheld consoles.

It had a vast array of multimedia features such as video playback; hence it has been considered a portable media player. It’s the only handheld console to use an optical disc format – Universal Media Disc (UMD) – as its primary storage. There were games and movies released on the format for the purpose of the PSP.

Over 80 million units have been sold. In 2011, the manufacturer announced its discontinuation to pave the way for the PS Vita.

11. Nintendo 3DS succeeded the Nintendo DS in 2011. The delightful surprises with this console were its: capability to deliver a 3D experience without the need for 3D glasses, backward compatibility with DS games, and plenty of bonus apps.

However, it didn’t do as well as expected due to several factors such as its high price at $250. It was considered too small to be comfortable for adults, and the 3D caused eye fatigue, which wasn’t good for kids below six years of age.

But all wasn’t lost as the 3DS were used for some classic games like Mario Kart 7, it’s best-selling game. Over 75.79 million units have been sold.

12. Nintendo Switch was Wii U’s successor and an innovative take on the portable gaming system. It’s staggering success likely stems from its sheer portability. This console can seamlessly switch from a handheld console to a mobile console to a multiplayer mobile console, with the players taking one joy-con each.  

Other pluses are the affordable introductory price of $299; it’s user friendly to all, even the non-gamers, and the only way to play triple-A games on the go. It’s also got some of the best games like Super Smash Bros, Animal Crossings, Zelda BoTW, Mario Kart, and Mario Odyssey that can’t be played anywhere else. 

If you’re looking for a used Nintendo Switch, read this article first.

13. NES is a third-generation video game console produced and sold by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, and Australia in 1985. During this period, video games were synonymous with Nintendo, thanks to NES. This console played games on interchangeable cartridges that varied in shape, depending on the region the system was released in.

NES’ wonderment lay in its selection of super exciting games like Super Mario Bros, Legends of Zelda, Tetris, Final Fantasy, and Vice: Project Doom. Over 60 million copies have been sold.

14. SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) is also known as the Super NES or Super Nintendo and is a successor to NES and is succeeded by Nintendo 64. When it was released in 1991 to the North American market, it became an instant success and Nintendo’s third-best-selling home console (except the handhelds).

It’s considered one of the greatest video consoles ever made because of its incredible game library that had Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, amongst others. It has so far sold over 49.1 million units.

15. XBox One  launched in May 2013, was the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. Surprisingly it’s the first game console to be released in China.  

It’s a powerful console that can play every single game on the system, and plenty more from the previous two generations.

It’s made even more compelling by exclusive games like Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, and Killer Instinct. Some of the games even look better thanks to the more powerful hardware and updates to the games.

It has been discontinued but sold 50 million units.

16. Nintendo 64  is touted as the most iconic console of all time with a lot of inspiring ‘firsts.’ It was the first console to produce ‘real’ 3D worlds (unlike the PS1), to implement and popularize the analog stick, implement and popularize the rumble/force feedback feature, both considered industry standards.

It’s also famous for games like The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, Goldeneye 007, and Super Mario 64, which defined a generation of gamers. It was released in 1996 and was named for its 64-bit CPU. It was discontinued in 2002 following the launch of its successor, the GameCube. Over 32.9 million units have been sold so far.

17. Sega Genesis is one of the most well-known gaming systems of all time. First released in 1988 by Sega, the Genesis experienced considerable success in the US markets, boasting an impressive library of games, including ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’, which was its best-selling entry, Total War and Yakuza.  

Sega is the world’s most prolific arcade game producer and has produced several multi-million selling game franchises. Over 30.75 million units have been sold to date.

18. Atari 2600 was originally released in 1977 by Atari Inc, an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. This console was their first foray into the home console market. Distinct in its iconic wood panel design, the Atari 2600 gets credit for popularizing microprocessor-based design and pioneering the use of ROM cartridges.

The Atari 2600 became the best-selling Christmas gift in North America in 1979 and brought home arcade classic Space Invaders in 1980. It’s production was halted on January 1, 1992, with an estimated 30 million units sold over its lifetime.

19. Xbox was released in 2001 to the North American market and was one of the most technologically powerful pieces of video game hardware on the market. It was the first video game with an internal 8 GB hard drive, waiving the need for memory cards.  

Its catalog compromised of more than 600 games, of which Halo was its biggest selling game and the fastest video game to sell one million units at the time of its release. Some of its other popular games were Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Fable, Grand Theft Auto Double Pack, and Ninja Gaiden.

It was originally priced at $299 but later dropped to $149 in 2004.

20. GameCube succeeded the Nintendo 64 and is a sixth-generation console that competed against PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Released in 2001, this console is the first one from Nintendo to use optical discs as its primary storage medium. It supported online gaming for a small number of games via broadband. It connected to Nintendo’s mobile console, the Game Boy Advance, to gain exclusive in-game features.

Its best-selling games included ‘Super Smash Bros.’ and the console also marked the beginning of the wildly popular ‘Animal Crossing’ franchise, which only recently received its newest entry. 

It was discontinued in 2007, and over 21.75 million units have been sold.

What makes a good video console

• Games 

Games are the most important reason for getting a console. Good games justify the price tag, while a console with bad ones will turn you off that console forever. Hence, manufacturers should heed this and ensure that awesome games power the consoles. A fine example is the PS2, which was less powerful than the Gamecube and the Xbox, yet it massively outsold both of them because it had a lot of games and also the best playing games.

• Marketing

People’s perception is their reality. A strong brand name and appropriate market targeting will sell a console. If the marketing targets the wrong audience, then it won’t matter whether the console is good. Developers also tend to make games for what is deemed popular hence the reason why PS2 has 3500 games, most of which are popular and engaging.

• Functionality

This points more towards the user experience. Is the console built in such a way as to deliver what is intended? How relevant is the hardware, like is it easy to use for programming? Some consoles fail because their architecture isn’t useful. If a console has several options to buy games and doesn’t necessarily have bugs or crashes, then it’s a good console.

• Controller

Apparently, a functional controller is quite important. Some gamers make a decision based purely on the look and feel of a controller. If a controller doesn’t come with essential buttons, a player needs to, or the shape isn’t something they’re used to; they’ll probably pass up on it.

• Game content

Some gamers are particular about the content. They’ll make decisions based purely on whether a console has exclusive content, a better game edition, or whether it allows for other options like listening to music while you play.

The best game console of all time

As pointed above, a game console must have a diverse catalog of super exciting games. The quality and even quantity of original and third party titles are key to success of a game console.

In this, the Nintendo 64 takes the prize because, in all the years of gaming history, few consoles have been as iconic and influential as it has.

Sony’s PS 1 was tantantalizing with technology and special effects by drawing gaming into 3D but Nintendo 64 captured gamer’s imagination with the experiences that 3D was capable of delivering. Games like Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time broke ground with 3D gaming to reveal how valuable a platform it could be.

5 popular video games 2020

1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

This is the 16th installment in the Call of Duty franchise and the fourth of the Modern Warfare subseries. This latest version was released globally on October 25, 2019 and is one of the best-selling CoDs in recent history. It sold more than $600 million copies in its first three days, making it the fifth-best opening of all time.

2. NBA 2K20

The NBA focused video game was released on September 6, 2019, and is available for Nintendo Switch. It made over $50 million in the first week of its release, and it’s now the sixth best selling video game franchise of all time, overtaking Guitar Hero. There have been 21 mainline titles in the series released to date.

3. Madden NFL 20

This game was released on August 2, 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It features Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the cover athlete. Mahomes became the second player after Rob Gronkowski to win a Super Bowl the same season they were on the Madden cover. It suits a casual player who doesn’t mind 3 – 7 hours of play.

4. Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 was released on September 13, 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and on October 30, 2019 for Apple macOS. A Stadia port was released on December 17, 2019.

Versions for and the Xbox Series X and Series S and PlayStation 5, including free upgrades for users on the prior console versions, are set to be released on November 10 and November 12, 2020, respectively. Upon release, Borderlands 3 received favorable reviews, though some criticized the lack of innovation and technical issues. The game’s initial sales were the highest of the Borderlands series: more than five million copies were sold in five days.

5. Mortal Kombat 11

This is a fighting game published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is the eleventh main installment in the Mortal Kombat series and a sequel to 2015’s Mortal Kombat X. It was released in North America and Europe on April 23, 2019 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One — with the exception of Europe’s Switch version which was released on May 10, 2019 and on the Stadia on November 19, 2019.

Upon release, the console versions of Mortal Kombat 11 received generally favorable reviews, which praised the gameplay, story, graphics, and improved netcode, but it got criticism on quality.

Best selling video game consoles 2020

As you wait for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, here are some game consoles to consider:

PS4 Pro

From the original 2013 PS4 comes the PS4 Pro, which boasts an upgraded Graphics Processor (GPU) –the bit that generates 3D graphics in games– that gives it 4K capability and improved performance with PSVR, Sony’s own virtual reality headset. As always, Sony goes all in. It also has a re-designed and much-improved DualShock controller, and the newer DualShock 4 is among the best gamepads ever designed.

The Xbox One X

This Microsoft second revision of the Xbox One features the most advanced hardware of any gaming console (yet) and would likely appeal to serious gamers. This is because they’re more demanding of their hardware and have been known to build their own gaming PCs.

Xbox One S

This console was an improvement of the Xbox one, which was considered heavy, underpowered, and bulky. What marks a major improvement is the design, which is wholly internal and is visually appealing to earn a perch on your display stand.

It supports HDR gaming and plays all the Xbox One games. Gamers also get access to loads of Xbox 360 and even some older Xbox games, thanks to backward compatibility.

The Sega Genesis Mini

It’s got more games and retro features and is perfect for its older and younger fans. It offers an expansive library of 42 pre-installed retro games that either haven’t been released in the US or were released in a limited capacity.

To be functional, it requires replicas of the six-button Genesis controllers that were originally released a bit later in the console’s lifespan back in the 80’s and 90s and are sold separately.

Conclusion

You’ve seen the 20 best selling consoles from the 70s to the present. They’re responsible for some discoveries by researchers from the University of Essex in the UK that people throughout the world spend three billion hours a week playing video games.

People love these games so much because they act in roles they like and get to distress from life.

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