Gaming has become one of the sources of income these days. Consoles are one of the most entertaining ways to play top games. Ever since they have come into the world, many of them have some innovative and mind-blowing features. We count down the ten best-selling consoles of all time.
10. Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance sold 81.51 million copies worldwide. It didn't have any real competition when it was released in 2001, which is why it sold a lot. Its best-selling game was Pokémon: Ruby and Sapphire.
Nintendo was working on it from 1995, but it wasn't ready for release at that time, which is why it launched six years later. It was the successor to the previous Gameboy and Gameboy Color versions. It was known for its battery life and graphical performance.
9. Xbox360
The Xbox360 was released owing to the poor sales of the original Xbox. It was released in 2005 but remained in production till 2016. It had massive success compared to the original Xbox, as it eventually ended up selling 85.49 million copies.
The console was praised for having features like its own social network and cross-game chat. It would have some new indie games every single week and also exclusives like Halo. There were add-ons like the Xbox Kinect to boost the sales, which was a big hit as it gave the gamers an excellent motion-sensing experience.
8. PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 was Sony's answer to Xbox360 in the ongoing console war at that time. It was released in 2006, and it outsold the Xbox360 by a narrow margin of around a million copies, i.e., 86.46 million! The popular GTA 5, which is played commonly, was first released for the PlayStation 3. It was the most popular game for the PlayStation 3.
Despite initially being sold at an expensive rate, it did not fail to attract gamers. It had good processing power. The US Air Force once built a supercomputer by using 1760 PS3's! The PlayStation 3 featured a wireless controller called Dual Shock Controller. It also supported DVDs and blue-ray.
7. Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is the latest console on the list as it was released in 2017 and is still in production. It was the redemption factor for Nintendo after the failure of the Wii U. The Switch has sold around 89.04 million copies to date compared to the Wii U, which had sold only 13.56 million copies.
The Switch can be used both as a handheld as well as a home console. It can be carried around wherever required as it is portable. Miss the experience on the big screen? No problem, just connect a few wires to your TV, and you are good to go. That's how simple and smooth the transition from handheld to the big screen is.
Despite it being a console, it has something that makes it compete with all three areas of gaming: PC, mobile/tablet, and consoles. Nintendo exclusives like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are the icing on the cake for the unique console. Time Magazine names the Nintendo Switch as the most influential gadget of the decade.
6. Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii gained massive success due to the innovative but straightforward controls it offered. It appealed to a larger audience across various age groups. Even older adults could have some fun with the Nintendo Wii as it brought a lot of fun and joy.
Its release in 2006 proved to be a turning point in the history of game consoles. It provided a fresh new experience by providing unique motion-sensing controls, incredibly the Remote and Nunchuk Controllers.
At one point, it was the fastest-selling console of all time. Even the games released for it were high-selling titles like Wii Sports, Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, etc. It sold around 101.11 million copies worldwide.
5. PlayStation
The original PlayStation is often said to have become famous just because of its games. Titles like Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7, and Resident Evil 2 boosted the console sales.
But the console design cannot be ignored either. It was as if the console had the 3D graphics and CD-ROMs put into a small box. The method, in general, attracted more customers. It became the first entertainment system to sell over 100 million copies as it sold about 102.49 million units. It was released in 1994.
4. PlayStation 4
The PlayStation 4 was released in 2013, and it didn't stop production until very recently. Compared to its competitor, Xbox One, it has better graphics, and its system is more powerful overall. The Share Play feature lets other users online control your system and play the games for you instead.
This will be helpful if a certain level cannot be completed on your own. The PlayStation 4 is the first central console to include Virtual Reality, giving gamers the unique experience yet with the PlayStation VR. It has sold 116.4 million units worldwide.
This is beyond expectations in an era where gaming has moved on to platforms like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. The Sony executive, Shuhei Yoshida himself, was surprised by this. Its popular games are Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Marvel's Spider-Man, and God of War.
3. Gameboy & Gameboy Color
The original Gameboy was released in 1989. The handheld console sold around 118.69 million copies, along with the Gameboy Color. It provided 30-hour battery life which was a significant advantage, and it was also sold at a reasonably low price. Its portability was the primary reason for its success.
Already popular game franchises like Pokemon and Tetris boosted its growth even further. The only thing missing was that it didn't have color. This drawback was also mitigated with the release of the Gameboy Color in 1998, which also had suitable hardware. Both of them together dominated the handheld gaming market back then.
2. Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DS was another handheld gaming console that was the successor to the Gameboy Advance. Released in 2004, it managed to keep the Gameboy fans as well as attract new ones. Touchscreen controls and wireless online gaming were the unique features of the console.
Unique games like Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! And the Nintendo classics such as Mario Kart DS and New Super Mario Bros. were catalysts that accelerated the Nintendo DS sales worldwide. The console managed to sell 154.02 million units making it the best-selling handheld gaming console.
1. PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 has sold over 155 million units throughout the world since its release in 2000, making it the best-selling console of all time despite the recent advancements of Nintendo Switch and PlayStation4.
It was brought to rival Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox. And it did end up beating all of them in sales as well as popularity!
Grand-Theft-Auto: San Andreas is its best-selling game. Other notable titles include Gran Turismo 4, Final Fantasy X, and Tekken 5. Due to these games, the console started gaining momentum after a slow start compared to its predecessor.
The games were aimed at providing better quality for its existing hardcore fanbase rather than attracting new gamers. It has many exciting features. The console itself included DVD playback and USB support.
The DualShock 2 Controller is similar to the DualShock Controller of the original PlayStation that was introduced. The players could toggle between horizontal or vertical screens depending on their convenience. It was also one of the first consoles that let gamers play with other gamers worldwide for free online.
Conclusion
There have been many more consoles that have sold at least 60 million copies. Some notable ones are the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), Nintendo 3DS, and the PSP (PlayStation Portable).
Nowadays, facing tough competition from the mobile gaming market, consoles are under threat. Due to high pricing, they don't have a good call in many countries, especially India. Will the consoles make a comeback? Or will they lose their significance altogether? Only time will tell.
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