The original Switch is officially Nintendo’s best-selling console of all time after surpassing the DS handheld in lifetime sales. In its latest earnings release, Nintendo reports that the Nintendo Switch has, as of December 31, 2025, sold 155.37 million units since its launch in 2017, compared to 154.02 million units for the 2004 Nintendo DS.
Tbh im still surprised the DS sold so well
Never seen anyone in the wild
And l only know 1 guy who had one
Interesting, around me everybody had one
Between the DS/DS Lite/DSi/DSi XL, every family around me had at least one. Some of those parents, now grandparents, are still playing Clubhouse Games and Picross 3D to this day.
The DS, like the Wii, had a lot of games that drew in people who were not “core gamers”, such as Brain Age and Nintendogs.
The fragile hinge between the two screens also reduced the number of cheap used systems on the market.