TheJapanese multinational consumer electronics companyNintendo has developed eighthome video game consoles and multipleportable consoles for use with external media, as well asdedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 19, 2025[update], Nintendo has sold over 869.95 million hardware units.[1]
The company's first console, theColor TV-Game, was a success inJapan but was never released in other territories. Their first systems to achieve worldwide success were theGame & Watch handheld series, before achieving greater worldwide success with theNintendo Entertainment System (NES), originally released as the Family Computer (Famicom) in Japan in 1983. The NES restarted thevideo game industry after thevideo game crash of 1983, and was an international success. In 1989, Nintendo released theGame Boy, which became the first handheld console to sell in large numbers. In the early 1990s, Nintendo's market lead began to decrease; although the 1990Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was a strong seller, theSega Genesis was a very strong contender. Nintendo andSega would both lose a significant portion of the console market towards the end of the 1990s, asSony'sPlayStation became the most popular console, beating theNintendo 64, though Nintendo managed to sell more thanSega Saturn.
TheDreamcast, released in 1998,PlayStation 2, released in 2000, andMicrosoft'sXbox, released in 2001, would eventually relegate Nintendo to third place in the international market, despite the release of theGameCube. However, they retained their lead in the handheld console market, with theGame Boy Color andGame Boy Advance models. Towards the middle of the 2000s, Nintendo introduced the first successful handheld device with a touch screen (DS) and the first successful console designed for motion controlled inputs (theWii); they became some of thebest-selling consoles of all time. In 2011, Nintendo became the first major company to release a handheld game console withstereoscopic 3D capabilities, with the3DS, which had very strong sales from the beginning. TheWii U, released in November 2012, was much less successful, and sales were significantly lower than predicted. TheNintendo Switch, by contrast, was released in March 2017 and has become the company's best-selling home console and overall third best-selling console of all time. A successor, theNintendo Switch 2, was released on June 5, 2025.
Color TV-Game is a series of five dedicated home consoles released only in Japan. Each of the consoles contained a small number of games and a built-in controller. In total, approximately 3 million units were sold.[2]
The Color TV-Game series consists of:
TheNintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an8-bit home video game console. It was first released in Japan on July 15, 1983, as theFamily Computer (Famicom) and would become Nintendo's first home video game console released outside Japan. It was released in US test markets as the redesigned NES in October 1985 and fully launched inNorth America the following year. The NES was distributed inSouth America,Europe,Asia,Oceania, andAfrica throughout the 1980s under various names.
Selling 61.91 million units worldwide, the NES helped revitalize the video game industry following thevideo game crash of 1983, and set the standard for subsequent consoles in everything fromgame design to business practices. The NES was the first console for which the manufacturer openly courtedthird-party developers. The console also launched many of Nintendo's most iconic franchises, such asThe Legend of Zelda andMetroid. Nintendo continued to repair Famicom consoles in Japan until October 31, 2007, attributing the decision to discontinue support to an increasing shortage of the necessary parts.[3][4][5]
Nintendo released a software emulation-based version of the Nintendo Entertainment System on November 10, 2016. Called theNES Classic Edition, it is adedicated console that comes with a single controller and 30 preloaded games.[6]
TheSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), colloquially shortened toSuper Nintendo, is a16-bit home console that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Europe and Oceania, and 1993 in South America. It was first released inJapan on November 21, 1990, where it is known as theSuper Famicom. InSouth Korea, it is known as theSuper Comboy and was distributed byHyundai Electronics.
The SNES is Nintendo's third home console (second outside of Japan), following theNintendo Entertainment System. Whereas the earlier console had struggled in the PAL region and large parts ofAsia, the SNES was a global success, albeit one that could not match its predecessor's popularity in Northeast Asia andNorth America—due in part to increased competition fromSega'sGenesis console. Despite its relatively late start, the SNES became the bestselling console of the16-bit era, selling 49.10 million systems worldwide.[7] The SNES library is known for upgrading some of Nintendo's most famous franchises, and making the games even more critically acclaimed, such asSuper Metroid,The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past,Final Fantasy IV andVI,Donkey Kong Country, andSuper Mario World, as well starting some popular franchises such asStar Fox andMega Man X.
Similarly to the NES Classic Edition released prior, Nintendo released a software-emulation-based version of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on September 29, 2017. Called theSuper NES Classic Edition, it, like its predecessor, is adedicated console that comes with two controllers and 21 preloaded games, one of which,Star Fox 2, is a title originally developed for the system that went unreleased.[8]
TheNintendo 64 (N64), is a64-bit home console released starting on June 23, 1996 in Japan, September 29, 1996 in North America, and March 1, 1997 in Europe and Australia. The Nintendo 64 was Nintendo's third homevideo game console for the international market. It was released with threelaunch games in Japan (Super Mario 64,Pilotwings 64, andSaikyo Habu Shogi) and two in North America (Super Mario 64 andPilotwings 64). PAL regions also had three launch titles (Super Mario 64,Shadows of the Empire andPilotwings 64) withTurok: Dinosaur Hunter delayed until three days after launch. Other key games includedDonkey Kong 64,Diddy Kong Racing,Banjo-Kazooie, two games inThe Legend of Zelda series,GoldenEye 007,Mario Kart 64,Super Smash Bros., andStar Fox 64. TheNintendo 64 sold 32.93 million systems.[7]
TheGameCube was released on September 14, 2001. It is Nintendo'ssixth generation home console, the same generation asSega'sDreamcast,Sony'sPlayStation 2, andMicrosoft'sXbox. Until the console's unveiling atSpace World 2000, the design project was known asDolphin—this can still be seen in the console and its accessories' model numbers. The GameCube is the most compact sixth generation console. The GameCube is Nintendo's first game console to useoptical discs rather thangame cartridges. An agreement with the optical drive manufacturerMatsushita led to a DVD-playing GameCube system named thePanasonic Q, which was only released in Japan. Much of Nintendo's core line-up centered on sequels to their established hit franchises such asSuper Mario Sunshine,Super Smash Bros. Melee,The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker,Metroid Prime,Pokémon Colosseum, andStar Fox Adventures, while new franchises likeAnimal Crossing andPikmin were born, although the former franchise had seen a Japan-exclusive release on the N64. The GameCube has sold 21.74 million units.[7]
Nintendo released theWii on November 19, 2006, as theirseventh generation home console. Nintendo designed the console to appeal towards a wider audience than those of its main competitors, thePlayStation 3 andXbox 360, including"casual" players and audiences that were new to video games.[9][10]
These aims were emphasized by the console's distinguishing feature, theWii Remote—a handheldmotion controller that candetect motion and rotation inthree dimensions, using a mixture of internal sensors and infrared positioning. The controller includes an expansion port that can be used to connect other accessories, such as the Nunchuk—an attachment with ananalog stick and additional buttons, a "Classic Controller"gamepad providing a traditional control scheme, andWii MotionPlus—an accessory designed to enhance the motion detection capabilities of the original Wii Remote models.[9][10]
The Wii's internal hardware is an updated derivative of that of the GameCube; in comparison to its seventh-generation competitors, the Wii had lower overall graphics capabilities, and does not output inhigh-definition.[11][9] The Wii also featuredinternet-enabled features; theNintendo Wi-Fi Connection service allowed supported games to offer online multiplayer and other features, while theWiiConnect24 feature allowed messages and updates to be downloaded while the console was in standby. ThroughWii Shop Channel, additionalgames and apps could be downloaded or purchased for the console, includingVirtual Console—a selection of classic video gamesemulated from older consoles. That service has been discontinued as of January 30, 2019. Early models of the Wii also had backwards compatibility with GameCube games and controllers, but this was dropped from later hardware revisions, namely theWii Family Edition and theWii Mini.
The Wii was a major success for Nintendo; in April 2007, theWall Street Journal declared that Nintendo had "become the company to beat in the games business", citing the success of the Wii and the portableNintendo DS line.[12] As of March 31, 2016[update], the Wii has sold 101.63 million consoles worldwide.[13]Wii Sports—a collection of sports minigames that were designed to leverage the Wii Remote, was bundled with the console outside of Japan, and had a major cultural impact as the console's "killer app" among the mainstream audience.[14][15]
TheWii U was released on November 18, 2012 as a direct successor to the Wii, and the first entry in theeighth generation of home consoles. The Wii U's distinguishing hardware feature is theGamePad, atablet-like controller which contains atouchscreen that wirelessly streams a video output from the console. The GamePad's display can be used to provide alternative or complementary perspectives within a game, or as the main display instead of a television.[16][17] In particular, Nintendo promoted the concept of "asymmetric" multiplayer, where a player with the GamePad would have a different objective and perspective than that of other players.[18] Alongside the GamePad, the Wii U supports Wii controllers and games. A conventional gamepad known as theWii U Pro Controller was also released.[19][20][17]
The Wii U featured more-extensive online functionality than the Wii, using theNintendo Network platform; as with the Wii, it supported online multiplayer anddownloading and purchasing new games and apps, but also allowed video chat. It previously featured an internal social network known asMiiverse, which allowed users to write and draw posts in game-specific communities, the service was discontinued on November 8, 2017.[21][22][23][24] Nintendo also attempted to providesecond screen experiences for television programming for the Wii U through a feature known asNintendo TVii,[25][26] but it was discontinued outside of Japan in August 2015.[27] Unlike the Wii, the Wii U's hardware is capable of high-definition graphics.[17]
The Wii U was met with low adoption, attributed by Nintendo executives to a lack of third-party support; poor marketing of the system, which led to a lack of clarity of the Wii U game pad from being a tablet device; and the subsequent release of thePlayStation 4 andXbox One the following year.[28][29] However, some critics argued that the Wii U still had advantages over PS4 and Xbox One, including its lower cost and notable early exclusives such asSuper Mario 3D World.[30][31] Sales steadily increased following the release of several notable first-party exclusives, including new entries in theMario Kart andSuper Smash Bros. franchises,[32][33][34] and the new franchiseSplatoon.[35]
In January 2017, a Nintendo spokesperson stated that production of the console had ended, with 13.56 million units sold worldwide.[36]
TheGame & Watch series ofhandheld electronic games made by Nintendo and created by its game designer Gunpei Yokoi from 1980 to 1991. Each featured a single game that could be played on asegmented LCD screen, in addition to a clock and an alarm. Most titles had a "GAME A" (easy mode) and a "GAME B" (hard mode) button. Game B is usually a faster, more difficult version of Game A. Different models were manufactured, with some consoles having two screens (the Multiscreen Series) and a clam-shell design. The Nintendo DS later reused this design. The Game & Watch made handhelds vastly popular. Many toy companies followed in the footsteps of Game & Watch, such as Tiger Electronics and their Star Wars themed games. Nintendo's Game & Watch units were eventually superseded by the original Game Boy. Each Game & Watch was only able to play one game, due to the use of a segmented LCD display pre-printed with an overlay. The speed and responsiveness of the games was also limited by the time it took the LCD to change state.
The Game & Watch series sold43.4 million units worldwide, including12.87 million units in Japan and30.53 million overseas.[37]
TheGame Boy is an8-bit handheld game console, the first such device developed by Nintendo, featuring interchangeableROM cartridges, allowing it to act more like a portable version of a home console. It launched in Japan on April 21, 1989, followed by North America later that year and other territories from 1990 onwards. The device features adot-matrix display, adirectional pad, four game buttons, a single speaker, and usesGame Pak cartridges. Despite mixed reviews criticizing its monochrome graphics compared to competitors, the Game Boy's affordability, battery life, and extensive game library propelled it to market dominance. The Game Boy received several redesigns during its lifespan, including the smallerGame Boy Pocket (1996) and theGame Boy Light (1998). By the time sales ended in March 2003, all variants of the monochrome Game Boy and the Game Boy Color combined had sold 118.69 million units worldwide, making them the fourthbest-selling system of all time.[7][38] Its best-selling game isPokémon Red,Blue, andYellow which shipped 46 million units worldwide.[39][40]
TheGame Boy Color (GBC orCGB) was a transitional upgrade of the originalGame Boy,[41] part of thefifth generation of handheld consoles, made to better compete with theWonderSwan andNeo Geo Pocket. Compared to the originalGame Boy, the Game Boy Color features a colorTFT screen rather thanmonochrome, a processor that can operate twice as fast, and four times as much memory. It retainsbackward compatibility with games initially developed for its predecessor. While the handheld was slightly thicker, taller and had a smaller screen than its immediate predecessor, the Game Boy Pocket, the Color was significantly smaller than the original Game Boy. By the time sales ended in March 2003, all variants of the monochrome Game Boy and the Game Boy Color combined had sold 118.69 million units worldwide, making them the fourth best-selling system of all time. Its best-selling game isPokémon Gold andSilver, which shipped 23 million units worldwide.[39][40]
TheGame Boy Advance (GBA) is a32-bit handheld game console which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the nameiQue Game Boy Advance. Compared to theGame Boy Color it succeeded, the console offered a significantly more powerfulARM7 processor and improved graphics, while retaining backward compatibility with games initially developed for its predecessor. The original model was followed in 2003 by theGame Boy Advance SP, a redesigned model with afrontlit screen andclamshell form factor.A newer revision of the SP with abacklit screen was released in 2005. A miniaturized redesign, theGame Boy Micro, was released in September 2005. Across all models in the Game Boy Advance series, 81.51 million units were sold worldwide. Its best-selling game isPokémon Ruby andSapphire, which shipped 16 million units worldwide. The GBA was officially discontinued by the end of 2010.
ThePokémon Mini (stylized asPokémon mini) is an 8-bit handheld game console designed and manufactured by Nintendo in conjunction withThe Pokémon Company and themed around thePokémonmedia franchise. It is the smallest game system with interchangeablecartridges ever produced by Nintendo, weighing just under two and a half ounces (71 grams). It was also Nintendo's cheapest console ever produced atUS$45 (equivalent to $80 in 2024) and came bundled with the gamePokémon Party mini. It was first released in North America on November 16, 2001, and was only available for purchase at thePokémon Center and via its website. This was followed by releases in Japan on December 14, 2001, and in Europe on March 15, 2002. Features of the Pokémon mini include an internalreal-time clock, aninfrared port used to facilitatemultiplayer gaming, areed switch for detecting shakes, and amotor used to implement force feedback. Sales of the Pokémon Mini were poor and only ten games were released, five of which were exclusive to Japan.
TheNintendo DS (iQue DS inChina) is ahandheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo, released on November 21, 2004, as the first system in the Nintendo DS family. It is visibly distinguishable by its horizontalclamshell design, and the presence of two displays, the lower of which acts as atouchscreen. The system also has a built-inmicrophone and supports wirelessIEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standards, allowing players to interact with each other within short range (10–30 meters, depending on conditions) or over theNintendo Wi-Fi Connection service via a standard Wi-Fi access point. According to Nintendo, the letters "DS" in the name stand for "Developers' System" and "Double Screen", the former of which refers to the features of the handheld designed to encourage innovative gameplay ideas among developers.[42] The system was known as "Project Nitro" during development.
On March 2, 2006, Nintendo released theNintendo DS Lite, a redesigned model of the Nintendo DS, in Japan. It was later released inNorth America,Australia, andEurope. A second redesign of the Nintendo DS, theNintendo DSi, was released on November 1, 2008, in Japan, on April 2, 2009, in Australia, April 3, 2009, in Europe, and April 5, 2009, in North America. It contains two cameras and downloadable software capabilities, plus a built-in flash memory and web browser. An SD card slot replaces theGame Boy Advance cartridge slot. A similar model, known as theNintendo DSi XL, was released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 worldwide. It features the same configurations as its predecessor, but is slightly larger and features a large stylus designed for home use.
As of December 31, 2013, Nintendo DS consoles have sold 154.98 million units, including 93.86 million Nintendo DS Lites, and the Nintendo DSi consoles have sold 41.33 million units.[7] It is currently Nintendo'sbest-selling video game console of all time.
Although the name and look of the device are similar to that of the DS series, theNintendo 3DS is the successor to the DS and is a brand new console. The Nintendo 3DS was released on February 26, 2011.It contains three cameras, two on the outside (for 3D photographs) and one internal one above the top screen. The bottom screen is a touch screen comparable to the DS bottom screens, and the top screen is Wide Screen and an autostereoscopic 3D LCD.Autostereoscopy is a process that sent different images to the left and right eyes to enable the viewer to view the screen in 3D "without the need for special glasses". The 3DS is said to have enhanced Nintendo's online experience. In July 2012, the3DS XL was released, similar to the change between the DSi and DSi XL. It has 90% larger screens and design changes such as a matte finish and the stylus in a more accessible area.TheNintendo 2DS was released on October 12, 2013. It is a variant designed to be affordable without the clamshell design or 3D capabilities of the 3DS. Another redesign, theNew Nintendo 3DS and New 3DS XL, was released in Japan in October 2014, Australia for November 2014, and everywhere else in February 2015. It includes a C-Stick, ZR and ZL shoulder buttons, and a much faster CPU, allowing for more software specifically for the New Nintendo 3DS (such asXenoblade Chronicles 3D). Like the original 3DS, the New Nintendo 3DS also has an XL form.As of December 31, 2013, Nintendo has sold 42.74 million units, including 15.21 million Nintendo 3DS XLs and 2.11 million Nintendo 2DS units.[7]
The last handheld console in the 3DS family was theNew Nintendo 2DS XL, which was released in June/July 2017 across five different countries. Production ceased on all Nintendo 3DS family systems on September 16, 2020.[43][44][45]
TheVirtual Boy was the first portable game console capable of displayingtrue 3D graphics. Most video games are forced to usemonocular cues to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional screen, but the Virtual Boy was able to create a more accurate illusion of depth through an effect known as parallax. The Nintendo 3DS also uses this technology. In a manner similar to using ahead-mounted display, the user looks into an eyepiece made of neoprene on the front of the machine, and then an eyeglass-style projector allows viewing of the monochromatic (in this case, red) image. It was released on July 21, 1995, in Japan and August 14, 1995, in North America and at a price of around US$180. It was never released in Europe, although a release schedule was initially planned. The system met with a lukewarm reception that was unaffected by continued price drops. Exactly 14 titles were released forVirtual Boy in North America, but only a few were met with positive reception. Nintendo discontinued the Virtual Boy within a few months of release.
TheNintendo Switch was released on March 3, 2017, and is Nintendo's second entry in theeighth generation of video game consoles. The system was code-named "NX" prior to its official announcement. It is a hybrid device that can be used as a home console inserted to the Nintendo Switch Dock attached to a television, stood up on a table with the kickstand, or as a tablet-like portable console. It features two detachable wireless controllers called Joy-Con, that can be used individually or attached to a grip to provide a more traditional gamepad form. Both Joy-Con are built with motion sensors and HD Rumble, Nintendo's haptic vibration feedback system for improved gameplay experiences. However, only the right Joy-Con has an NFC reader on its analog joystick forAmiibo and an IR sensor on the back. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller is a traditional style controller much like that of theGameCube.
The Nintendo Switch has currently sold 150.83 million units as of February 4, 2025, outselling all of Nintendo's previous video game consoles, except theNintendo DS, making it the best-selling home console from Nintendo and the thirdbest-selling video game console of all time.[46]
The Nintendo Switch Lite is a more affordable version of the Nintendo Switch released by Nintendo on September 20, 2019. The Switch Lite console is similar to a regular Nintendo Switch and can play almost all standard Switch games, but is a handheld portable-only version and is also slightly smaller. It comes in five color variations: grey, turquoise, coral, yellow, and blue, as well as some special editions. Its Joy-Con controllers cannot be detached like in the original Nintendo Switch model.[47]
A second variation, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, was released in 2021, which makes several adjustments and improvements over the original, including an improved kickstand, a larger OLED screen, and more storage (64 GB instead of the regular 32 GB present in the original Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite).
On January 16, 2025, Nintendo announced its successor to the Nintendo Switch after 8 years, theNintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 is backwards compatible with most physical and digital Switch games. The console was released on June 5, 2025. Like the originalSwitch, it can be used as a portablehandheld, as atablet, or connected via the dock to an external display. TheJoy-Con 2 controllers can be used while attached to or detached from the device. It has a largerliquid-crystal display and more internal storage than the original Switch. It has updated graphics, controllers, and social features. It supports1080p resolution and a 120Hzrefresh rate in handheld or tabletop mode, and4K resolution with a 60Hz refresh rate when docked.[48]
Nintendo reported on June 10, 2025, four days from release, that the Switch 2 had sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide, which made it the company's fastest selling console to date.[49]Famitsu reported that the console had sold 947,931 units in Japan within the first four days of its release, surpassing the Switch's launch of 329,152 units sold in the region.[50]IGN said that launch sales of the Switch 2 in these first four days were twice as much as the launch sales of the Switch in all regions.[51]
Nintendo entered the home market in Japan with the dramatic unveiling of Color TV-Game 6, which played six versions of light tennis. It was followed by a more powerful sequel, Color TV-Game 15. A million units of each were sold. The engineering team also came up with systems that played a more complex game, called "Blockbuster," as well as a racing game. Half a million units of these were sold.
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