The Xbox Series X/S Has Sold More Than One of the Best Nintendo Consoles

The Xbox Series X/S family of consoles has achieved something impressive, passing the Nintendo 64 in sales. It’s the latest in accolades that the Xbox Series has wracked up since its release back in 2020.

The N64 got its start way back in 1996, delivering Nintendo’s first full 3D experiences to gamers at home. A strong lineup of N64 games like Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, Super Smash Bros., and more helped to propel the third home console in Nintendo’s lineup.

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Ultimately, according to VGChartz, the Nintendo 64 would move a whopping 32.93 million units in its lifetime. However, that impressive number has now been surpassed by the Xbox Series X/S, which together have sold an estimated 32.98 million units. That number was as of April 2024, so it’s likely that the Xbox Series console sales have increased significantly since. Next up on the list to conquer would be the Sega Genesis with 34.06 million sales, and the Super Nintendo at 49.10 million.

Xbox Series X/S Sales are Impressive, But Not Microsoft’s Best

While these numbers may sound good on paper, there are a few caveats. The Nintendo 64 is actually one of the worst-selling Nintendo consoles, only outselling the GameCube and ill-fated Wii U. The original NES has sold 61.91 million, while the Switch, currently Nintendo’s best-selling home system, has hit a stunning 150.52 million. The Xbox Series consoles would have to go a long way to compete with them, as well as their own predecessors, the Xbox One and Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 is still the king of Microsoft systems, with 85.73 million units sold, while the Xbox One sold a more modest 57.96 million, still presenting a tough number for the Xbox Series to beat.

One interesting element, though, is that Xbox seems to be seeing some improvement in its sales in Japan since the last Xbox generation. The Xbox One struggled to move an estimated 120,000 units in the country. The Xbox Series X/S, on the other hand, has sold around 680,000 units in Japan. However, it still has a long way to go before it will meet the Xbox 360’s numbers, as the 360 sold an estimated 1.66 million consoles in Japan. The improved sales of the Xbox Series consoles may be due in part to an increase in JRPGs available on Xbox.

With all of that said, the PlayStation 2 remains the console to beat. While the PS2 has been dethroned as the best-seller in the US, it’s still number one worldwide. With the Nintendo Switch 2 now out, it’s unlikely that the original Switch’s numbers will see a huge rise from this point forward, and it would need to sell 9.5 million more units to meet the PlayStation 2. Even PlayStation itself hasn’t been able to beat that number, with its second-best system being the PS4, selling 117 million units, while the PS5 has only moved 76 million units. It seems likely that the PS2 will hold onto its crown for at least a few more years, depending on the success of the Switch 2 and future console generations.

Brand

Microsoft

Original Release Date

November 10, 2020

Original MSRP (USD)

$499

Operating System

Proprietary (Windows-based)

Processor

Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2 3.8 GHz

Resolution

720p – 4K UHD