Switch 2 Is The Fastest-Selling Console In US History As Gaming Hits All-Time High
Folks, it's official, Sony's PlayStation 4 console is no longer the fastest-selling piece of gaming hardware ever in the United States. That distinction now belongs to Nintendo's Switch 2, which dethroned the former longtime champ by selling a staggering 1.6 million consoles in June, beating it by around 500,000 units to claim the coveted record. The achievement follows the Switch 2 setting a launch day record for most consoles sold in the first 24 hours.
Previously, the PS4 held the title as the best-selling video game hardware launch in U.S. history with 1.1 million units sold during November 2013. That record stood for over a decade as newer generation consoles like the Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and even the first-generation Switch came into view.
Breaking a sales record that stood for nearly 12 years was by no means a foregone conclusion. One of the big question marks was whether or not gamers would embrace higher asking prices, with the standalone Switch 2 carrying a $449 MSRP and the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle checking in at $499.
To put those figures into context, the original Switch debuted at $299 in the U.S., while the Switch OLED with a display upgrade and twice the internal storage launched at $349. It's also worth noting that the Switch 2 features an LCD screen, not OLED, albeit a physically larger one at 7.9 inches with a higher resolution.
Even so, it's off to a tremendously hot start, according to video game stats in the latest Circana report that were shared to Bluesky by analyst Mat Piscatella. He also notes that the Switch 2 was "June's best-selling video game hardware in both units and dollars, while PlayStation 5 remained the best-seller year-to-date across both measures."
June 2025 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights from Circana - Nintendo Switch 2 debuted as the fastest selling video game hardware device in US history, while consumer spending in both video game hardware and accessories reached new all-time June records.
— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) July 23, 2025 at 9:00 AM
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While it was never a given that the Switch 2 would usurp the PS4 as the fastest-selling console in U.S. history, it's also not surprising. For one, Nintendo reportedly delayed the launch of the Switch 2 from late 2024 to 2025 in order to procure more units for launch, in anticipation of unprecedented demand.
Secondly, the first-generation Switch is a resounding success, having ascended to become Nintendo's second-best selling console of all time at 152.12 million units, behind only the Nintendo DS at 154.02 million units. The Wii, another uber-popular game system, topped out at 101.63 million units.
The Switch 2 is also contributing to record consumer spending in both hardware and accessories. According to Circana's latest figures, total game hardware and accessory sales in June 2025 reached nearly $5.7 billion, which is up 22% from June 2024. Much of that comes down to core hardware, which exploded 249% to $978 million, versus $280 million in June of last year.
What's also interesting is that the Switch 2 is breaking records and boosting spending in a big way despite there being a shortage of consoles compared to demand. Fortunately, the situation is improving with fairly frequent restock events. Nintendo even announced a new console bundle that includes Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which releases on October 16, 2025.
It's already available to preorder. Likewise, here are a bunch of Switch 2 product links...
- Switch 2 at Amazon
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Amazon
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Amazon
- Switch 2 at Best Buy
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Best Buy
- Switch 2 at Walmart
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Walmart
- Switch 2 at Target
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Target
- Switch 2 at Newegg
- Switch 2 + Mario Kart World at Newegg
- Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at Best Buy
- Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at Target
- Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition at Walmart
