Switch vs DS Sales Comparison - September 2025 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 07 November 2025 / 6,649 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: 250,941 - Switch
Gap change over last 12 months: 5,683,754 - Switch
Total Lead: 1,489,825 - DS
Switch Total Sales: 152,060,839
DS Total Sales: 153,550,664
September 2025 is the 103rd month that the Nintendo Switch has been available for. During the latest month, the gap grew in favor of the Switch by 0.25 million units when compared to the DS during the same timeframe.
In the last 12 months, the Switch has outsold the DS by 5.58 million units. The DS is ahead of the Switch by 1.49 million units.
The 103rd month on sale for the Nintendo Switch is September 2025, while for the DS it is May 2013. The Switch has sold 152.06 million units, while the DS sold 153.55 million units during the same timeframe.
The Nintendo DS sold 154.02 million units lifetime. The Nintendo Switch is currently 1.96 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 follow the author on Bluesky.
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number 2 all time is where the switch ends up.
I´m just waiting when the title says: "Final Update".
No one ever though any console would go as high as the DS and PS2 again since the gap between GB/PS4 (previous 3/4 best sellers) to DS/PS2 (top 2) was 40ish million units. Now the Switch has shown it's still possible to reach such numbers.
Gaming is a lot more mainstream now, I’m shocked PS2 has held the record as long as it has! Truly, PS4 & PS5 could also have rivaled these figures had their legs not been cut so short.
Gaming is more mainstream, but it's mostly PC and mobile that's leading the charge. There's a reason Microsoft and even Sony are trying to capture these markets.
PS5 still can, it's not late, and we don't know what the future holds for it.
The games Sony and partners are developing for 2028 and beyond are being made for PS6. Being that Sony has been crystal clear in sticking with their original schedule w/o delay, it’s too late ag this point. We are 24 months away from PS6.
What does the release date have to do with this ? PS2 had only 6 years of being the major console and it still did it. Why PS5 can't with even more sales by the point it is replaced ?
Sony has a history of cutting off previous gen sales once successor drops. Been this way ever since the PS2-PS3 fiasco.
Cause they're not gonna cut the price very low which would be needed for sales to stay afloat after the PS6 comes out. Though even with that it wouldn't happen unless the PS6 had a horrible launch like the PS3 did and they'll want new buyers to get the PS6 so won't be pushing the PS5 that hard after it comes out.
I know, but the release date alone is not enough of a reason. Also yes, that's possibly what is going to happen, however this does not mean we should take it out yet. It is still possible, we don't know what will happen. The sentence " Truly, PS4 & PS5 could also have rivaled these figures had their legs not been cut so short " is wrong, since we just passed the half of PS5 life last year, and in that sentence it's like we have seen the future and how the PS5 life will end. We haven't. Yes Sony has a history of cutting off, but that doesn't mean we can be sure 100% years before, how they will maintain it and if there won't be other factors that may delay the next gen, or if they may decide to change back their strategy like with the PS1 and PS2. The sentence is wrote like we are in 2035 and we have already seen if the PS5 legs will be cut short, and where it ended. That is my point. Of course that the biggest chance is it will probably end somewhere around PS4 numbers.
Considering PS5 sales have been declining since 2023 (it's peak year) I doubt it even reaches 120 million. This fiscal year Sony is projecting 15 million which if they hit that will bring it to 92.7 million (which will put it 4 million behind PS4 in the same timeframe). Next fiscal year it's going to be less, I'm guessing 10-12 million, then the next year lower.
It will probably be Game Over for the DS only in 2026 now
Is game over before the year ends. The DS final number is 154.02 million units. Switch has shipped 154.01 million units as of As of September 30, 2025.
Shipped,not sold(yet)
Shipped as of september. we are in november now 2 months later and holiday shopping season is here already.
If it’s shipped, it will be sold. Companies don’t want to lose money on stock in this market by not selling. It takes time to catch up. But for Nintendo shipped=sold. For the general public shipped>sold always.
