Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - Switch Sells More in July 2020 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 04 September 2020 / 3,839 Views
The VGChartz sales comparison series of articles are updated monthly and each one focuses on a different sales comparison using our estimated video game hardware figures. The charts include comparisons between the 7th generation and 8th generation platforms, as well as comparisons within the 8th generation. There are articles based on our worldwide estimates, as well as the US, Europe, and Japan.
This monthly series compares the aligned worldwide sales of the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo DS.
Switch Vs. DS Global:
Gap change in latest month: 85,552 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 3,495,513 - DS
Total Lead: 7,336,152 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 62,078,875
DS Total Sales: 69,415,027
July 2020 is the 41st month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 85,552 units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe. In the last 12 months the DS has outsold the Switch by 3.50 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 7.34 million units.
The DS launched in November 2004 in North America, December 2004 in Japan, and March 2005 in Europe, while the Nintendo Switch launched worldwide in March 2017. Therefore, the holiday periods for the two consoles do not lineup, which is why there are big increases and decreases.
The 41st month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is July 2020, while for the DS it is March 2008. The Switch has sold 52.08 million units, while the DS sold 69.42 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 91.94 million units behind the lifetime sales of the DS.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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The fact that the Switch is somehow outpacing the prime DS at this time is insane. I remember everyone only a few months ago thought that once this year comes the Switch vs DS fight would be over with the DS killing the Switch in its prime. However, the Switch is proving all of us wrong. We'll have to see if the Switch keeps this up.
Depending on software output, hardware stock and pandemic issues I see a small chance for a cross this holiday season (and a re-cross a few months later).
Whens DS Lite??
by this time the ds lite has been out for two years as it came out 2 years after the original model.
The DS Lite was already out for 2 years by this point.
you are actually getting to when the DSI comes out as it launches in November
If Ninty can and is interested in producing enough switches, I think it can be the closest to beating both PS2 and DS. I don't think it will, but it for sure has more of a potential to do it than even the PS4. And I would love a PS2 vs Switch chart as well
If the switch beat out the DS you would see people go out and buy tons of switches why? Its just like why endgame when it got close to avatar's global dollar amount a bunch of people kept going back to give it the few dollars it needed to be number one. So if the Ds was beaten you might see that where people just buy the system just so it can beat the ps2.
@yo33331, No. It was constantly going back and forth between the PS4. It was a zig-zag pattern that would always change depending on which console was going through a holiday season. Remember, PS4 launched in November, Switch launched in March. So when each system both pass another anniversary, the PS4 has an extra holiday season advantage. But every time the Switch would take the lead with its holiday season, its advantage would get bigger and bigger, then when the PS4 took the lead back when IT got a holiday season, its advantage was getting smaller and smaller. And last FY, the Switch shipped 21.03 million units, which was higher than the PS4's peak FY of 20 million. 90% of those sales/shipments was pre-Covid. Right now, the Switch is selling record breaking numbers, and all it has had is one revision. By this point in the PS4's life (3 years, 5 months) It already had a price cut and TWO revisions.)
And how convenient is it for you that you left out Animal Crossing, which has turned into the biggest killer app since Wii Sports, as a reason for the Switch's boosted sales.
Dude everyone is talking launch aligned sales. Launch aligned the switch was selling on par with the ps4 pretty much since launch and then started to surpass it. Also the switch lite hasn't really sold particularly well. The argument you are trying to make is that the switch in its infancy should have been outselling a console in its prime which is just ridiculous.
PS4 was peaking when the Switch came out. Consoles have lower sales when they enter the market. Should be the same with the new consoles unless there is a second wave of covid or something.
Switch has been on par launch aligned with the PS4 since it launched. Lite isnt the reason it is doing bit at all, Switch lite had underwhelming performances last fall, it just had a lot of stock that didnt sell during the holidays so once the covid affected production lines, the main console available for a certain period was the lite. Then they boosted production and the Switch is back on top by a big margin, even in Japan. Covid boost slowed down for other machines but not the Switch, seems like the main cause for its boost was Animal Crossing after all.
By the way, Switch is reaching 75 millions this year for sure, not "maybe 70".
There is nothing special or big enough coming for holidays on the Switch side...The fight could end after this holiday season.
@Amnesia
The type of audience that will go out and spend $400/$500 on a brand new console with libraries starting at 0 is not the same type of audience that will wait until year 4 of another system to spend $200/$300 on it after it builds a big enough library.
Did PS4 sales slow down during the Switch’s launch?
