10m DS Lites sold in Japan - Famitsu

By Games Industry.biz Published 10 May, 2007

More than 22m worldwide.

The Nintendo DS Lite has sold more than 10 million units in Japan according to research by Famitsu.

The handheld has been threatening to break through the 10 million barrier for the past month after Nintendo's latest financials revealed shipments up to 9.48 million had reached the Japanese market by the end of March.

Total sales of the DS Lite worldwide are now more than 22 million following its launch just over a year ago, and combined sales of the Lite and original DS unit are well over 40 million.

The Japanese Lite retails for around JPY 16,800 (GBP 70 / USD 140), and sold 702,844 units in April to take it over the 10 million threshold, Famitsu said.

Its closest rival for hardware sales was Nintendo Wii (287,722 sales), followed by PlayStation Portable (158,291), as PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2 racked up 71,247 and 67,673 sales respectively.

For more on what numbers mean, read GamesIndustry.biz.

Picture of Games.

About Games Industry.biz

Read more articles from Games by visiting the Games Industry.biz archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (27) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AcidSnake #1 5 years ago

    PS2 only sold 67000ish?
    Wasn't it continuously in second place after the DS?

    Or are that global sales I'm thinking about?

  • chupachups #2 5 years ago

    If portables sell so much better, and continue to sell so much better, will they take over from ordinary consoles as the main gaming platforms that everyone talks about?


    "PS2 only sold 67000ish?
    Wasn't it continuously in second place after the DS? "

    Not in Japan, it's been DS then Wii for ages.

    The latest Japanese hardware sales according to Media Create (this is for one week, not one month):

    DSL 255,971
    Wii 102,522
    PSP 33,860
    PS3 12,791
    PS2 12,584
    Xbox360 3,162
    GBM 630
    GBASP 495
    GC 167
    DS 92
    GBA 0
    Edited by 2 at 10/05/07 @ 13:55

  • lambtron #3 5 years ago

    With a population of 127.5m (apparently) that is still less than 10% who have one but still...

  • Hughes. #4 5 years ago

    I honestly wish I was more convinced by the DS's library, I loved my GBAsp while it was still getting good games regularly. Still, the way it's captured the imagination of the public over and above the traditional gaming community is great for the industry. It does make it a shovelware magnet, but that's why reviews were invented, and it's not something that ever did the PS2 any harm.

  • lambtron #5 5 years ago

    I think the problem with the DS that there are some real gems but many of them are not available over here. Ah good old europe ...

  • DB2k #6 5 years ago

    whats the deal with the non Lite version - is that number of sales included, or was it a certain amount on top of this 10m since they are specifically mentioning the Lite?

  • chupachups #7 5 years ago

    "I honestly wish I was more convinced by the DS's library, I loved my GBAsp while it was still getting good games regularly."

    Bear in mind the average handheld owner only buys four games, so they only really need a small number of super huge hits (Brain Training, Nintendogs, New Mario Bros etc) to appeal to a wide audience. These games sell for ages and ages, they're still in the charts.

    People who build up a proper library of handheld games are actually quite rare.


    "whats the deal with the non Lite version - is that number of sales included, or was it a certain amount on top of this 10m since they are specifically mentioning the Lite?"

    This bit should answer your question: Total sales of the DS Lite worldwide are now more than 22 million following its launch just over a year ago, and combined sales of the Lite and original DS unit are well over 40 million.
    Edited by 1 at 10/05/07 @ 14:14

  • Hughes. #8 5 years ago

    I'm actually hoping to be attracted to the next hardware revision, something like the GBA Micro, hopefully. Same size screens, but with less plastic surrounding

    I was meh about the original GBA because of no back/front-light, then when the sp was announced I had to have one, even though there's nothing wrong with my sp (except it's a bit clunky to hold) I still want a Micro, even though I have no intention of buying any new games for one.

    I quite like the iPod stylings of the Lite, but it's still not drawing me, better than the original DS though.

  • Horse #9 5 years ago

    Interesting that the PS3 has taken over the PS2 in Japan at least.

  • chupachups #10 5 years ago

    "even though there's nothing wrong with my sp (except it's a bit clunky to hold) I still want a Micro, even though I have no intention of buying any new games for one. "

    The Micro is actually very underrated, it has a better backlight than the SP and (this was a clincher for me) it has a built-in headphone jack.

  • quantumsheep #11 5 years ago

    Wow - 702,000 in April???

    They'd better ramp up production for xmas then, eh? START NOW!!!

  • dudefella #12 5 years ago

    http://gonintendo.com/? p=2078

  • DB2k #13 5 years ago

    thanks chupachups

    lol @ dudefella

  • Nikanoru #14 5 years ago

    If portables sell so much better, and continue to sell so much better, will they take over from ordinary consoles as the main gaming platforms that everyone talks about?


    Hasn't the Gameboy line always sold more than home consoles?

  • zuljin #15 5 years ago

    "If portables sell so much better, and continue to sell so much better, will they take over from ordinary consoles as the main gaming platforms that everyone talks about? "

    Not if, like you say, they only sell 4 games a console.

  • ZeroAX #16 5 years ago

    "Not if, like you say, they only sell 4 games a console."

    and 3 of them are pokemon games :p

    no really on my original game boy i had like 20 games advance it was about 12 and ds is now at 7 not so bad

  • brooza #17 5 years ago

    10 million this year?

  • snick #18 5 years ago

    Only just less than 10% and think about it, that would mean at least 5 people on every packed bus you were on would have one.

  • zuljin #19 5 years ago

    @ZeroAX
    I'm pretty much the same... I wonder why that is. I think for me it was because I wasn't allowed to play games during the week, so I could never go on a console, but my mum never checked where I left my gameboy :)

  • chupachups #20 5 years ago

    "Not if, like you say, they only sell 4 games a console."

    True, but home consoles aren't much better, they're only something like 8 games per console.

    It's weird, most people seem to pay literally hundreds for a console but then only use it a little bit.

  • smelly #21 5 years ago

    "True, but home consoles aren't much better, they're only something like 8 games per console. "

    that's not true at all.

    At the start of the consoles life, that is true - because it's the hardcore which picks them up (who tend to buy more games).

    At the end it's more like 3 or 4 per console.

    Bear in mind that's BRAND NEW games, 2nd hand doesnt count (as it's already been sold to someone else and so the console manufacturers dont get a cut the 2nd/3rd/4th time a game is sold).

  • zuljin #22 5 years ago

    @smelly
    "At the end it's more like 3 or 4 per console."
    Nope, average is more round 15-20.

    Although this may have gone down slightly recently, since consoles like PS2 are still selling well (and cheaply), and people may just buy the console for 1-2 games they like.

  • Sid-Nice #23 5 years ago

    When Halo 3 comes out the Xbox 360 will be No1 in Japan.

  • Daikon #24 5 years ago

    When Halo 3 comes out the Xbox 360 will be No1 in Japan.

    Hey everyone! We have a live fanboy here!

  • Sid-Nice #25 5 years ago

    The X360 is da dogs nads man.

  • Zuiyo #26 5 years ago

    "When Halo 3 comes out the Xbox 360 will be No1 in Japan."

    You're probably right, it will certainly repeat the success of Halo and Halo 2 in the same territory.

  • SmileyDudette #27 5 years ago

    "whats the deal with the non Lite version - is that number of sales included, or was it a certain amount on top of this 10m since they are specifically mentioning the Lite?"

    The lite has sold 10m.

    My comment is that the original would have had more units shifted if Ninty hadn't brought it's shelf life to an untimely end, simply because it's cheaper.