The Nintendo Switch 2 has recently reiterated its reign as the quickest-selling console hardware in US history, moving 4.4 million units in seven months. But, while impressive, it's got nothing on the 2001 Game Boy Advance.
Circana industry analyst Mat Piscatella explains in a thread on Bluesky, confirming that, although "Nintendo Switch 2 remains the fastest selling video game hardware platform in tracked history," "the Game Boy Advance is the fastest selling hardware platform overall after 7 months in market."
10 days after the Game Boy Advance's release, Nintendo boasted that it had already sold 500,000 units of the handheld. That number continues to seem shocking, but I suppose you can't beat launch titles such as Super Dodge Ball Advance and Rayman.
In comparison, the Switch 2 took about a month to sell 1.6 million units – which isn't anything to scoff at, either. Piscatella says, "Nintendo Switch 2 finished its 7th month in market with a life-to-date US installed base of 4.4M units, nearly double the installed base of the original Nintendo Switch on a time-aligned basis." The Switch 2 also beat the PS4's sales pace seven months after launch by 35%, though Piscatella notes the PS5 currently ranks second behind the Switch 2 for "both unit and dollar sales during December and the 2025 year."
After the PS5, the Xbox ranks third, with its hardware unit sales for 2025 down about 50%.
