Nintendo Switch Demolishes DS Sales, Switch 2 Already Outsold Wii U

The Nintendo Switch may be dominating DS sales, but the poor Wii U is already taking quite the beating from the Switch 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 hasn't even been out a year, at the time of writing, and it’s already one of Nintendo’s best-selling consoles.

Despite, in my opinion, lacking when it comes to plenty of major first-party exclusives.

Released on 5 June 2025, as the name of the console clearly suggests, the Nintendo Switch 2 is a direct successor to the console that was originally released in 2017.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Surpasses Its Predecessor in Almost Every Way!

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a bigger, more vibrant screen. Improved magnetic Joy-Con connection, mouse controls, and more USB-C ports, to name a few. More importantly, the visuals and performance of each game are superior, regardless of whether you play handheld or docked.

“The Nintendo Switch 2 might not be a seismic leap forward or mind-bending reinvention, but it didn’t need to be,” we said in our console review.

“Nintendo struck gold in 2017, and if a few smart updates here and there mean we get another eight years of brilliant first-party games, surprising third-party ports, and a massive library of indies, you can consider me along for the ride. My favourite console ever, but bigger and better? I couldn’t ask for much more.”

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Nintendo Wii U, Future Publishing (via Getty Images)

The Nintendo Switch 2 Has Sold Like Hot Cakes!

Just months after its launch, it was revealed that the Nintendo Switch 2 had become the fastest-selling console for Nintendo, which is very impressive when you consider the lineage of the company. To sell faster than the likes of the Nintendo DS and the original Switch is no small achievement

In January this year, it was announced that the Nintendo Switch 2 had outsold the lifetime sales of the GameCube in just seven months, and now it’s claimed the soul of another beloved console.

As brought to our attention by IGN, the Nintendo Switch 2 has now overtaken the lifetime sales of the cursed Wii U. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for Nintendo’s ugly duckling.

Don’t get me wrong, the Nintendo Wii U still holds a special place in my heart, for some reason. I suppose it was a good console to play retro games via the Nintendo eShop, and its tablet screen, touch and motion controls laid the foundation for the Switch.

Both Switch Consoles Claim Two New Souls!

As of 31 December 2025, the Nintendo Switch 2 had sold over 17.37 million units, compared to the lifetime sales of the Wii U at just over 13.56 million units from 2012 to 2017.

Furthermore, the original Nintendo Switch has claimed a soul of its own by outselling the lifetime sales of the popular handheld console, the DS. Since its launch in 2017, the Nintendo Switch has sold over 155.37 million units, whereas the DS sold over 154.02 million units from 2004 to around 2014.

It will be interesting to see if and when the Nintendo Switch 2 outsells its predecessor.