We all say to each other that the gaming industry now consists of 3 fields: PC gaming, console gaming, and mobile gaming. While mobile games and PC games can be played on the players’ devices immediately (if the devices can run the game), console gamers have to buy the consoles first, and then buy the game later. Thus, there have been numerous consoles exist through the history of gaming.
When we have many consoles, there will be some which are more successful and famous than others. So let’s take a look at the top 7 most successful consoles of all time, counted by the selling statistics of them.
PlayStation 3
First release date: November 11, 2006 (JP)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 88 million
The last time Sony counted PS3 sales numbers was in November 2013. Sony reported a sale of 80 million copies of PS3 consoles, and that number was published on March 31st, 2014 on the reveal of the business results of Sony in 2013 fiscal year. In that announcement, Sony also claimed to sell 7.1 million copies of PS3 in the fiscal year 2013. In the report for the fiscal year since 2014, Sony only includes the sale number for PS4, so we could not say for sure how many PS3 copies have been sold totally. But still, many PS3 copies were sold after 2013, so we estimate that 88 million copies of PS3 consoles have been sold all over the world.
PlayStation 4
Initial release date: November 15, 2013 (NA)
Production status: Ongoing
Units sold: 91.6 million
PlayStation 4 has been dominating the gaming console field since it was released. Only for 5 years since its release date, Sony has officially sold more than 91 million PS4 units (counted till December 31st, 2018). Sony has also been extremely benefited from the software sales for PS4, with more than 875 million software products for PS4 sold. Sony has confirmed that the so-called PS5 will not be introduced until 2020, so PS4 still has chances to become the most sold console in history.
Nintendo Wii
Initial release date: November 19, 2006 (NA)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 101.63 million
The second most successful console of Nintendo. Wii has been ended by its developer, but it has also gathered more than 100 million purchases for Nintendo, alongside with 920 million software product purchases for this console.
PlayStation 1
Initial release date: December 3, 1994 (JP)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 102,5 million
Not much to say about this console, to be honest. This is the childhood of every gamer on earth. It would not be too much to say that this console started the successful era of Sony’s console. With more than 102 million units sold, this bad boy is the second most successful console of Sony (though PS4 is looking to take this spot).
Game Boy/Game Boy Color
Initial release date: April 21, 1989 (JP)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 118.69 million.
With more than 118 million units sold, this Game Boy from the childhood another classic console by Nintendo. This is only considered the third most successful console of Nintendo since it has only gathered for Nintendo 501 million software products sold.
Nintendo DS
Initial release date: November 21, 2004 (NA)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 154,02 million
The sale numbers are counted as the total sales of all consoles in the DS family: the original console, DS Lite, and DSi. This console series also gathered for Nintendo more than 950 million software products sold, so it is considered to be the most successful console of this developer.
PlayStation 2
Initial release date: March 4, 2000 (JP)
Production status: Ended
Units sold: 159 million
Well, not much to introduce this classic bad boy. Perhaps all gamers who were born before the 21st century have played this console at least one. With nearly 159 million copied sold all over the world, it would be long until we can see another console breaks PS2’s selling record.