Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - June 2023 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 10 August 2023 / 5,826 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 PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, as well as with older platforms. 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.
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.
Switch Vs. DS Global:
Gap change in latest month: 552,913 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 1,132,208 - DS
Total Lead: 14,709,952 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 127,701,893
DS Total Sales: 142,411,845
June 2023 is the 76th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 0.55 million units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe.
In the last 12 months, the DS has outsold the Switch by 1.13 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 14.71 million units.
The 76th month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is June 2023, while for the DS it is February 2011. The Switch has sold 127.70 million units, while the DS sold 142.41 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 26.32 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 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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So DS after month 76 sold less than 12m, so any extra units over 12m Switch sells from now (July) onward.
It should manage 10m just for the rest of this year, then next year I'd be surprised if it sold less than 10m even if Switch 2 releases in April, this would bring the gap down to 6-7m which IMO is worst case.
My bet would be a holiday 2024 release for a Switch successor, which may still be enough to stop a Switch victory over DS (depending on how the Switch is treated, e.g. like PS4 was), but any later than that and Switch should be guaranteed to close the gap entirely.
Hmm, if I calculate right 3DS came out at month 75, which is now in the graph. 3DS didn't have the hottest start, but enough to take wind out of the DS next holidays. So Switch has one good holiday left in any case without DS can react, which should put Switch in the 10 million range. How long and how strongly the Switch can sell afterwards decides how this ends. Ideally Switch can sell as a budget version once Switch 2 is out.
No way they give up the Switch even after the next gen release, they will keep the Switch as a backup for a while.
From now on the gap Should start shrinking consistently but it's likely to large to catch at this point without a major pricecut.
By the end of this fiscal year, looks like the Switch should gain around ~7-8mil on the DS (leaving the overall discrepancy at around 7-8mil, cutting the DS lead in half). Whether the Switch can make that final push...it is certainly plausible. DS seemingly sells <5mil for the remainder of its lifetime, meaning the Switch would need around 12-13mil the remainder of its life.
In any case, the Switch is destined for the 140mil club (as well 145mil+ club, I'd argue). The remaining question is whether it can break 150mil. DS seems a slight bit out of reach in all honesty, though I certainly could see myself being proven wrong.
I still think there is a crazy path available to Nintendo if they release a $99 smaller Handheld-only Switch that actually fits in your pocket, a Switch Micro if you will. Nintendo hasn't been in this position for quite a while and they know how to milk a console for all its worth. Obviously their priority will be ensuring a healthy and robust Switch 2 launch, but I wouldn't put it past them to get creative and capitalize on the runaway success that the Switch has been.
Nintendo can push the sales way over by releasing a new Nintendo Switch SP. Two features on the screen over the original much like the GBA SP: first, the screen folds; second, many many times brighter, like 7000 times. The original Switch was 291 nits, and that was upgraded to 318 nits with the OLED., or around 2.2 million Nits.
I don’t really know, I’m not an idea guy.
Switch still has a path to overtaking DS, but I think it will stop a little short.
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