Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - March 2024 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 12 May 2024 / 5,378 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: 55,036 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 2,521,087 - Switch
Total Lead: 9,039,546 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 139,216,994
DS Total Sales: 148,256,540
March 2024 is the 85th month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 55,036 units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe.
In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the DS by 2.52 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 9.04 million units.
The 85th month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is March 2024, while for the DS it is November 2011. The Switch has sold 139.22 million units, while the DS sold 148.26 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 14.80 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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The switch can smell that DS ass
The most anticipated chart here in the VGChartz
Crazy how in less than 12 months the Switch should be above the DS with Nintendo's forecast.
I’m ready to see the Gap Chart start to close up! Let’s Go!
But they've just announced it's successor is going to be announced within a year. That normally has big impact on sales of current hardware
Watch it start to close the gap, and surpass 160M.
Wait so are you saying that you don't know the history about the DS?
Because the 3DS was announced 20 months ago on this chart back in March 2011, which would be the August 2022 Switch vs DS Comparison chart. https://www.vgchartz.com/article/455004/switch-vs-ds-sales-comparison-august-2022/
So you are telling everyone that the DS should've dropped off the face of the Earth 20 months ago because it's successor, the 3DS, was announced! Also bro, the successor for the Switch hasn't even been officially announced yet calm your jets and take an ice bath. The Switch is still selling like hot cakes.
Fun fact: After the announcement of the 3DS the DS went on to sell 28.48M more units over the course of 34 months. By this same logic, the Switch will easily sell for more than 34 months, considering that the successor hasn't even been officially announced yet. And by that logic and the Theory of Parallels , the Switch will go on to sell at least 28.48M, bringing the Switch shipment total to at least 169.8M by March 31, 2027, nice ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). And that's if the successor get an official announcement before the end of May 2024.
Check yourself before you rekt yourself.
DS was being sold at a much lower price though in it's later years, but whatever
The logic still stands, because it is the only Nintendo console on the market. Also considering that their FY goal is 13.5M now, they will be doing some interesting things to make sure that happens.
...the Switch is in its eighth year without a price cut (the original SKU, at least), and yet it continues selling like hot cakes. (The best selling Switch model is in fact the $350 OLED...so the price has actually seen a net increase.) You sure you wanna die on this hill?
PS2 literally dropped from $300 launch down to $280 in 2001, $200 in 2002, $150 in 2004, $130 in 2006, $100 in 2009, and possibly even further beyond that. (We haven't seen 300% inflation over the past fifteen years, before you decide to drop that excuse explaining the $100 price tag.)
And that's not even to mention the fact that there did exist consumers who purchased the device for the purpose of owning a two-in-one "disk player-video game console".
Facts. That was fire. OLED has taken the majority of sales over the past year.
I was just saying that the DS was a much cheaper buy at this point in it's life so don't be surprised if it doesn't catch up as quick as you think. I don't really understand why you counter argued it.
I see...I took your comment a little out of context. Though I guess my remark still is relevant, as -- judging by your other posts on this site -- you seem to be under the impression that we should be examining hardware sales figures from a lens of greater nuance...which, while on paper may sound ideal, does get very complicated very fast. For instance, yes, the Switch hasn't seen a price cut and may literally go on to outsell the PS2, but that doesn't account for all the luxury provided to the Switch as a consequence of (i) lackluster Sony & Microsoft performance this generation [so far; 2020-2024], (ii) the skyrocketing price of consumer goods [$300 is the new standard for consoles-on-a-budget], (iii) COVID bump, (iv) etc etc. Just as one can mention a similar catalogue to artificially inflating/deflating aspects to the DS, Wii, PS2, GameBoy, etc., sales figures.
At the end of the day, the best route -- in my humble opinion -- is to keep it simple, and to examine hardware sales from the lens of "If Nintendo/Sony/Microsoft really wanted their console to surpass [console A], then they should've been smart and implemented [X, Y, and Z]...but they choose profits over hardware sales. So that's their loss." There is no way nor any purpose in devoting time to measuring which shortcomings or benefits make a console's success more or less impressive respectively.
Thank you for attending my lecture. I hope to see you Wednesday (I give lectures on VGChartz MWF from 4:15-5pm).
I just think the numbers are a bit irrelevant anyway. PS4 was a far more successful console than PS2 when you consider
everything. Switch has been about 10x more successful than 3dS in terms of revenue but only sold about twice as much
hardware
I’m interested in your opinion on how PS4 is more successful than PS2. I think I can guess a couple of reasons, but interested in learning your major reasons for stating that.
You are so desperate for the Switch to fail. Get a grip. Its success will not stop Sony delivering the games you love.
They wouldn't target 13.5 if they didn't think it could sell 13.5... they of all people know when they will release the successor and they factor in Switch will still sell that amount.
These next twelve months are going to be a little surreal seeing that gap between DS and another console shrink to the point of DS-defeat. Never thought we'd ever see another console hit such highs in success, but the Switch has seemingly done it. (And coming off the Wii U of all things.)
Yes, it is a wonder to lay on eyes. We are witnessing the latter years of a beast, coming to the top of the stairs to take on the #2 & #1 GOATs.
the internet is a mean place at times…I don’t get why ppl wanna downvote your comment?? It’s literally a perfectly fine remark, I see nothing wrong lol.
Thanks. :)
It gets mean when you present facts, and they don't want to acknowledge them. Its the same thing that happens in reality too. When hardcore facts are presented in any topic (the most heated are religion and politics, and are some of my favorite), there is a side (not always, but more often than not) that has the better thing, and the other side is defensive, doesn't listen, or attacks. It also shows that even the most mild of thoughts can be decisive for others (even though mine is definitely bias towards Nintendo, I mean my pfp is Pokémon lol)
Conversations start to have meaning when both sides are open minded, open hearted, and truly want to understand each others.
I don't care about downvotes or upvotes, they don't mean much. What is more valuable are replies and comments to further the discussion.
Typo: Total Lead should be for DS, not Switch
Yeah but I like it, we can say its the VGChartz prediction of how many more console the Switch will sell than the DS.
lol
Next month, the DS will gain more ground against the Switch
the farest I know, Nintendo is expecting to sell 13 Millions consoles this fiscal year. This is crazy, because that means Nintendo Switch will be behind DS for only by 2M consoles.
It will have surpassed the DS in shipments by the end of this fiscal year as well. What a great FY. There will be some exciting news, releases, and more.
@Hardstuck-Platinum @firebush03 @Shtinamin_ and everyone else
The debate about PS2 and Switch... (and even DS)
Both of them have prons and cons, both have very good sales because of some reasons, it's normal. Everything has a reason for, and that does not remove it's success. It doesn't matter that PS2 was a cheap DVD player or it had so many price cuts, Did it reach 160 (or almost there) ? It did. Is it number 1 for the time being and in the past 20+ years ? It is. There are always reasons for everything. Something can't be a success if there is no reason. But those reasons can also easily be countered with the Switch reasons too. It didn't had price cut ? well there is inflation. Yes there is no official price cut, however first the Lite model was like price cut because you could buy Switch console back in 2019 for cheaper than the launch.(yes the model was with less features, however could you play Switch games cheaper than the launch ? you could so it's in a big way price cut). Second the inflation. 300$ are way less now and in the last few years than they were in on and after launch. You say PS2 is combined with DVD that's why it selling so much ? Well Switch has combined handheld and home console. This is also not exactly fair to compare console that covers both handheld and home, with a console that is only home ... (or DS which is handheld only). Which does not take the Switch success, however just like there can be given reasons why PS2 have sold so well, there can be given reasons about the Switch as well (talking about other ones than the standart ones such as good software support, good marketing, affordable price and etc.)
I am not defending PS2 here. I am just giving counter answer, because the guy that talked about DS didn't give proper examples, but you two gave good and adequate examples for the Switch.
Debate and reasons for both of them can continue very very long. Both have their paths and lives. Both have reasons why and why not for every of their accomplishments or the things they didn't accomplish. Everything in life has a reason. The reason does not take out the facts or the success.
Everything can be turned from both sides of the table for both of them.
Yep I totally agree. The PS2 is a beast of a console, same with the DS and the Switch there are no doubts about that. They can't be compared (but we try to using hardware and software sales, since its an objective tally). I do my best to not attack another's viewpoints or the another's character either, I do my best to bring about thought provoking questions so I can understand someone's thought process.
I saw that someone was commenting, and was confused by their statement (though I might have had an overreaction).
There is still debate if the Lite is a price cut but I wont go there since there is a thread about that (unless there is a consensus already).
Thanks! Keep up the great work!
My comment is not about your previous comment, it is about all of the people that debate. And the general thinking that given system is selling or was selling because of that and that. Of course there are reason why a system is a success. This does not take out the fact that it did what it did, what is sold, or the success out of it.
I have seen your comments and attitude and I know that you are not this kind of person to attack viewpoints or character. However there is other people that do. This was about them, and also about others which debate the topic, and most importantly always give a reason when you throw other successful system, different from their favorite one. Which is not right.
About the Lite system, well the effect of a price cut is there. Maybe in some part, not in 100% of course, because that is cheaper model of course, but still a big chunk of people who wanted one and could afford only the Lite one and not anything expensive, surely have decided to buy exactly that system because of that. There is almost 25M Lite systems bought after all. I bet at least 20M of them bought it with a major reason being the cheaper price in mind.
Facts.
And agreed, attacking, isn't healthy.
(My favorite is the Wii, I may have to change that once the Switch finishes lol).
I had my own two sense about the price cut thing, but decided that I was gonna put it in the thread after Thursday. Hopefully it wont be dead by then.
Thanks for trying to keep the peace!
I believe there is a typo: the Switch should gain 55,036 this month, not the DS.
You are right. Typo fixed.
