NS2 Best-Seller, PS5 Tops 90M LT - Worldwide Hardware Estimates for January 2026 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 21 February 2026 / 11,642 Views
The Nintendo Switch 2 was the best-selling console worldwide with 765,795 units sold for January 2026, according to VGChartz estimates. The Switch 2 has sold 16.35 million units lifetime.
The PlayStation 5 was the second best-selling console, with an estimated 760,325 units sold, to bring lifetime sales to 90.20 million units. The Nintendo Switch 1 was the third best-selling console, with an estimated 178,472 units sold, to bring lifetime sales to 153.93 million units. The Xbox Series X|S came in fourth place with 118,727 units sold, to bring its lifetime sales to 34.29 million units.
Switch 2 sales compared to the same month for the Switch 1 in 2018 are down by nearly 198,000 units, as the Switch 1 sold 963,507 units in January 2018.
PS5 sales compared to the same month for the PS4 in 2019 are down by nearly 312,000 units, while the Xbox Series X|S compared to the same month for the Xbox One are down by over 277,000 units. The PS4 sold 1,072,311 units for the month of January 2019 and Xbox One sales were at 396,074 units.
PlayStation 5 sales compared to the same month a year ago are down by 97,505 (-11.4%). Xbox Series X|S sales are down by 103,712 units (-46.6%) and Nintendo Switch 1 sales are down by 340,916 units (-65.6%).
Looking at sales month-on-month, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are down by over 2.68 million units, PlayStation 5 sales are down by over 2.26 million units, Xbox Series X|S sales are down by over 319,000 units, and Nintendo Switch 1 sales are down by nearly 621,000 units.
Monthly Sales:
Global hardware estimates for January 2026 (Followed by lifetime sales):
- Switch 2 - 765,795 (16,351,114)
- PlayStation 5 - 760,325 (90,200,369)
- Switch 1 - 178,472 (153,933,312)
- Xbox Series X|S - 118,727 (34,289,942)
- PlayStation 5 - 240,901
- Switch 2 - 225,035
- Xbox Series X|S - 90,078
- Switch 1 - 41,974
- PlayStation 5 - 265,302
- Switch 2 - 156,900
- Switch 1 - 36,063
- Xbox Series X|S - 19,680
- Switch 2 - 365,433
- PlayStation 5 - 224,888
- Switch 1 - 94,496
- Xbox Series X|S - 3,441
- PlayStation 5 - 29,234
- Switch 2 - 18,427
- Switch 1 - 5,939
- Xbox Series X|S - 5,528
Weekly Sales:
Global January 10, 2026 hardware estimates:
- Switch 2 - 244,025
- PlayStation 5 - 225,052
- Switch 1 - 52,106
- Xbox Series X|S - 32,809
Global January 17, 2026 hardware estimates:
- PlayStation 5 - 187,246
- Switch 2 - 186,183
- Switch 1 - 53,182
- Xbox Series X|S - 32,535
Global January 24, 2026 hardware estimates:
- PlayStation 5 - 176,568
- Switch 2 - 171,896
- Switch 1 - 40,804
- Xbox Series X|S - 27,055
Global January 31, 2026 hardware estimates:
- PlayStation 5 - 171,459
- Switch 2 - 163,691
- Switch 1 - 32,380
- Xbox Series X|S - 26,328
VGChartz Methodology: Hardware estimates are based on retail sampling and trends in individual countries, which are then extrapolated to represent the wider region. This typically allows us to produce figures that end up being within 10% of the actual totals.
This data is regularly compared against official shipment figures released by the console manufacturers and figures estimated by regional trackers with greater market coverage than ourselves. We then update our own estimates to bring them into line with those figures. This can result in frequent changes often within a short space of time, but we feel it's important to prioritise accuracy over consistency.
Note that our estimates are based on sell-through data (units sold to consumers). In almost all cases the figures released by console manufacturers are based on shipment data (sell-in), where as soon as a device has left the factory and entered the supply chain for delivery it is considered a sale. This is why there is always a difference between the companies’ figures (sell-in) and VGChartz estimates (sell-through), even after we’ve made adjustments. The one exception to that is when a console has been discontinued and the remaining stock has finally sold out – at that point the figures will match.
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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Switch lead over PS5- 63.73 million
PS4 lead over PS5- 27 million
PS5 lead over xbox- 55.91 million
That’s not a strong month, and ram prices haven’t even effected anything yet.
PS5 is 2 million behind PS4 and it seems that PS5 continues to sell less than PS4 within the same time frame. At the moment the only possible conclusion is that PS5 won't be able to outsell PS4. I still see a chance though, if PS6 won't be released until 2028.
Once again I have to ask, how do you blunder so hard you consistently lose to a last-gen console, even eight months after said console was replaced?
It's because Microshaft over relies on AI.
Switch 2 should win 2026 competition. It will continue to outsell PS5 7 or 8 to 1 in Japan, so all it needs is to just increase its sales just a bit more in the US and Europe and they are all set.
Dang most of the Switch 2 sales this month are from Japan and over half the Switch sales are also from Japan. Also, all systems down compared to their predecessors isn't shocking when we know less people are buying consoles in this current environment.
Really shows what a big console market Japan still is, you can still sell more consoles during 1 random month just in Japan than you can sell in all of Europe (Looking as PS5 sales in Europe during January).
Japan is really saving Switch 2 at this point. Switch 2 is selling fine but nothing remotely impressive in the west ever since launch hype ended.
January's S2 numbers in EU and US would have been good WEEKLY numbers for the Switch. They desperately need a price cut in the west, but since that isn't gonna happen they desperately need some killer must-buy games coming this year. Cuz as big as Japan is for Nintendo, it can't do triple duty making up for tepid sales in EU and US.
Will be really interesting to see if S2 has some mega games this year after the launch year being very lackluster in software. But it's crazy there is still no 3D Mario announced considering the Mario movie is two months away.
Its still within the launch year. The launch year didnt end with 2025. It ends 12 months after Switch 2 launched.
It'll be interesting to see how sales go for Switch 2 for February and March in the West compared to January. Nintendo didn't really had a game last month (ACNH switch 2 edition was more like a DLC, not the type of things to draw sales whereas February has Mario Tennis + the slightly new model and especially March that has Pokopia)
