Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - December 2023 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 01 February 2024 / 4,959 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: 2,672,043 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 672,266 - DS
Total Lead: 10,374,531 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 136,258,010
DS Total Sales: 146,632,541
December 2023 is the 82nd month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 2.67 million units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe.
In the last 12 months, the DS has outsold the Switch by 0.67 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 10.37 million units.
The 82nd month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is December 2023, while for the DS it is August 2011. The Switch has sold 136.26 million units, while the DS sold 146.63 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 17.76 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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From here on out, apart from the little holiday boost in a couple months it should all go in favor of the Switch. After said holidays the DS will only sell an additional 5M units; Switch will probably sell almost twice that this year alone.
Finally!
Gonna be a close race for sure. Pretty much inevitable that at the very least the Switch will be less than 10 Million away from the DS.
Obviously. I'd say less than 5 mil unless they discontinue the Switch completely when the next system releases and that's not likely.
Always liked how innovative the wii was.
Year after year the DS beats the Switch. I really hope to see the Switch catching considerable ground this year. I mean, since Month 12, Switch's trajectory has been mostly downward, and, let's be honest, this is kinda frustrating.
Agreed, but it makes sense, year 2 and 3 for the Switch didn’t really have any system seller games.
I’m still not convinced. It’ll be close though. Crazy that DS still widened the gap by a little bit over the past 12 months. Should have been the final time it won though but who knows.
In April of 2023, which is the 74th month, the DS had just finished its holiday sale of 2010. It was ahead by 15.4M units. Looking at the graph until October 2023, which is the 80th month, the Switch was entering its holiday sale, and had a positive gain of 1.2M units, for a total of -14.1M units.
In that time from Apr-Oct the DS sold 5M units, and the Switch sold 6.2M units.
(Im only gonna focus on Switch's April-October because those months are the most steady and reliable)
The DS's equivalent on the graph to Apr-Oct 2024, so Jan-July 2012 sold 1.44M units
I am making an assumption that the Switch will sell rather close to its 2017 Apr-Oct counterpart, selling around 4.9M units.
Switch will sell an increase of +3.46M compared to DS (4.9-1.44) for the time slot of Apr-Oct 2024 comparison charts.
Switch will sell just below 3M units for Jan-Mar (probably 2.7M).
Thus Switch will have sold about 7M units in 2024 when October comparison charts arrive, with the DS selling 4.62M units from Sept 2011-July 2012. Switch will have a comparison increase of +2.38M in 2024 with a DS total lead of 8M when the Oct comparison charts arrive.
Okay long story short, at the end of October this will be the sales total
DS 151.25M
Switch 143.25M
If the Switch 2 releases this year, this will be a difficult to beat for Switch. The current trend is that hardware dies out quickly after the successor has been released, much more so than in the past. If the Switch 2 does not release this year,the Switch should become the best selling console of all time easily.
Looking the first graph, the Switch is almost on the same spot it was 12 months ago
So it won't make it.
Can I ask whats your reasoning behind that?
The next gen console will be announced soon, the gap is too big now. It could still happen miraculously by a very thin advantage but when I see the curves, I just don't believe it can. The Switch has nothing left serious anymore from now and the announcement of the next console is imminent.
That is a reasonable thought process.
If rumors are true and the next gen console for Nintendo releases in 2024, it will release sometime near Q3 either Sept, Oct or Nov.
Switch still has a minimum of 9 months (including Jan because the numbers aren't out yet).
Switch will most likely sell -30% of what it sold in the past quarters, for most of this year.
From Apr to Sept this year (because it's easier to think in quarters) it should sell near 4.45M (above I said it'll reach 4.9M at the end of Oct, giving Oct .45M sold, which seems a bit low but understandable if no huge games are released, and Oct is usually the lowest selling month for Nintendo). And from Jan to Mar this year it should sell near 2.15M (but I predict near 2.7M as seen above), giving us a total of 6.60M units by the end of Sept 2024.
The DS, by the end of month 79, has sold 151.09M (151,095,577).
By the calculation above the Switch will have sold 142.86M.
The DS will be leading by 8.23M.
A Nintendo console will be in production for a full year, will be on the shelves for around 4 years.
Once the next gen console releases, if rumors are correct, the Switch will have 1 year to produce +8M units, once it produces more than 8.3M then it will have "sold" more than the DS, and with time the actual sold in stores will equal the shipment sold, as VGChartz explains.
I have confidence that Switch can produce at least +8M from Oct 2024-Oct 2025.
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