Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - November 2024 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 08 January 2025 / 5,125 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: 1,561,213 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 7,673,359 - Switch
Total Lead: 5,213,635 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 146,041,084
DS Total Sales: 151,254,719
November 2024 is the 93rd month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 1.56 million units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe.
In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the DS by 7.67 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 5.21 million units.
The 93rd month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is November 2024, while for the DS it is July 2012. The Switch has sold 146.04 million units, while the DS sold 151.25 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 7.98 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.
More Articles
I understand why Nintendo is resisting until the very last moment to release or even present to the public the Switch 2: to not affect its Xmas sells and the japanese new year festivities. That 8 year line is not only impressive, but not suffering the exhaustion one could imagine it would get, by its 8 year, is incredible. Japanese sells continue to be very strong. Problem is... in western countries it started to fade out, so Nintendo needs a new machine soon.
But boy... if they 'll do a nice price reduction... Switch 1 could sell many millions more with no problem, who knows how many... like PSone or PS2 slim did. Switch never got a good price reduction and, somewhat, go this far anyways. Very Impressive.
Specially when you remember the total sells of WiiU, the very previous console, barely would appear in that graphic.
imo i don't think nintendo's not gonna risk cannibolizing NSW2 sales. I see shipments plummeting for NSW...though i could def be wrong. Never know with Nintendo
If the new system will be sold for about 100 or 150$ more, you don't need a price cut for the current model. A price cut is unlikely because of the high inflation.
Yeah, but the inflation is not so noticiable for consumers as a price cut is... not even near. Don't expect a boost in price just becase "inflation".
An alternative could be to give a good pair of free digital games with the machine. And I mean,
GOOD ones. Even... making a list of 5-10 games and make people choose themselves in home, 2 of them, for free. Would be a booster.
I was a child, but I remember seeing SNES selling a lot in 1995-1998 because the SNES "Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario World pack". At least in Europe, a Sega territory by then.
SNES was a dead console after 1996, but that pack was so truly awesome for a child... it boosted the sells of the last years of SNES. They could do something similar with the Switch... if they have any plans to produce it after the Switch2 (we don't still know what Nintendo will do with Switch).
(BTW, that SAME All-stars for SNES... well, even worse, the version without the SM World, was used 20 years later, by Nintendo itself, to celebrate the 25 anniversary of the franchise... in that INFAMOUS DVD for Wii. Of course, that was a scam. I was even amazed how Nintendo had the balls to do that.... to SOLD a fuc**** old SNES ROM in a Wii DVD to "celebrate" the 25th anniversay... using a rom that was almost 20 years old!).
One of the most extremely lazy and lower moves I've ever seen in Nintendo, just before the catastrophe they lived with WiiU.)
The Switch will finish the year between 148 and 149 million units sold. Let's say 148,5M. It will need 5,5M units sold to reach 154M. It will defenitly need more than 3 months to do it, so passing the DS at the end of March is very unlikely. From Jan/2024 to Oct/2024 the Switch sold on avarage 758k units. Considering that we'll have the Switch 2 being released this year, I'd assume it'll sell on avarage 450k per month from Jan/2025 to Oct/2025. Adding this to the 148,5M number, the Switch would be hitting the 153M mark in the tenth month of the year, in October/2025, passing the DS' 154M mark only in November/2025 if it sells 1M units in this month, and, if it doesn't, only in December/2025.
I hope I'm wrong and the Switch manages to pass the DS earlier!
Once the DS is beaten will there be a Switch vs PS2 graph? I mean, at least a simulated curve for the PS2 based on what's known?
I wish we would have, but I don't think we're gonna have one
With at least 2M units sold in December, the Switch will have to sell just 6M more units to outsell the DS
=>3mil for December (NSW) would slash the launch aligned difference by >2.8mil. NSW should be caught up by end of Feb/early March 2025, at which point I see no chance of NSW not out-legging DS.
What do you mean by "months-from-launch"?.
Edit: Oh, I see. You're talking about the first graph
i think the word i was looking for was "launch aligned" (lol). (i have since edited my og comment.)
i think i can, i think i can (Switch)
Assuming the Switch can maintain its momentum, it should pass the DS by the end of March at the very earliest or the end of September at the latest.
It will pass the DS 100%!! I will bet my dig and my head on that!
Essay Pro