Most Popular Gaming Consoles: Data from 1985 to 2025

This analysis tracks the best-selling gaming consoles worldwide from 1985 to 2025, with a significant expansion of data covering the early years of home gaming. I wanted to provide a more complete picture of console sales trends over time, from the rise of 8-bit systems to the dominance of modern hardware.

The data includes major home consoles like PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch, alongside handhelds such as Game Boy, PSP, and Steam Deck. I decided to include handheld consoles to highlight shifts in consumer demand - showing how gaming moved between home and portable systems in different eras.

Sales numbers are based on monthly trailing 30-day figures, using official company reports, analyst estimates, and user surveys. In cases where only quarterly or yearly sales were available, I adjusted the data based on seasonal sales spikes, such as the holiday shopping season (November-December), major game launches, and console release cycles.

Where manufacturers do not disclose sales figures, estimates are derived from supply chain data, including production orders and component shipments. While not perfect, this method provides reliable trends in the gaming market.

This data-driven analysis is for those who appreciate hard stats, industry trends, and gaming history - whether you're a retro gaming fan or tracking the latest hardware wars.