UK DS sales hit 10 million mark

By Robert Purchese Published 10 December, 2009

Best-selling videogame machine ever.

Nintendo's DS has been sold more times in the UK than any other console ever. Ever.

Nintendo's handheld, released March 2005, steamed past 10.05 million sales during week 47 (beginning 16th November) this year.

That means the DS has taken less than five years to break 10m sales - a feat previous record holder PS2 took over nine years to accomplish. To date, Sony's last generation machine has sold 10.02m units, according to MCV.

Nintendo now reckons nearly one in six British people own a DS, maybe even the Queen, and believes 5,700 of its handhelds are sold each day.

Last week Nintendo's Wii became the UK's best selling home console after passing six million in just under three years.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (27) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Abscido #1 2 years ago

    Videogames.

  • TONYgr #2 2 years ago

    Go nintendo!

  • MORZTAN #3 2 years ago

    Too cool.

    The DS is an absolutely fantastic gaming platform.

  • andywilkie35 #4 2 years ago

    Christ it came out in 2005?! Time does fly doesn't it. Planning on finishing Professor Layton and Pandora's Box tonight in time for the new Zelda tomorrow

  • Toothball #5 2 years ago

    I've bought three DSes so far. It's great what hardware iterations can do for sales.

  • IneptPercy #6 2 years ago

    Its great to see an old school games company back at the top, shame sega aren't still around to battle with them.

    In both the Wii and DS they opened the market, my other halfs mum doesn't play games etc but now owns both and I get the feeling this isn't the only case.

    I wonder how many of those sales are replacements? I don't say this due to it being poor hardware, but due to the portable nature more are likely to get broken.

  • Mkwone #7 2 years ago

    The ps2 was sold as one per houshold. the DS is sold as one per person.

    No question it's a great feat but nothing will change my mind of the Ps2 being the best bit of gaming kit ever.

  • tomkuryakin #8 2 years ago

    EG, could you please keep a running total of each poster's karma? I'd love to know how low EarlBassett's is by now.

  • tomkuryakin #9 2 years ago

    @ EarlBassett

    I did not know that...maybe manufacturers will have to make sure they make a profit on hardware in the future rather making it a loss leader.

  • tomkuryakin #10 2 years ago

    Then you have to go and spoil it by implying I'm a divvy because you couldn't be arsed explaining what you meant.

  • Tio #11 2 years ago

    Nothing will ever beat sitting on the toilet playing Mario Kart online . Period.

  • aine #12 2 years ago

    I wonder if the situation in Korea might have something to do with the number of games being officially released there, though. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think only a small percentage of games actually get Korean language releases, mostly Nintendo and EA titles, so wouldnt the majority of sales actually be imports (and therefore not appear in official sales data)?

  • des #13 2 years ago

    And it totally deserves that.DS is the "living" proof that gigaflops,pixels,HD,etc don't mean much in gaming world.

  • uglygamer #14 2 years ago

    And it totally deserves that.DS is the "living" proof that gigaflops,pixels,HD,etc don't mean much in gaming world.

    I like the DS and the Wii with its innovation, but I still reckon the HD, gigaflops etc are just as important for the industry to move forward

  • hiddenranbir #15 2 years ago

    Her Majesty may own one, but then again HM owns a lot.

  • peterfll #16 2 years ago

    That is, quite, remarkable.

  • kendoji #17 2 years ago

    Personally I'd rather have the gigaflops. ;)

  • Sid-Nice #18 2 years ago

    Wii are not amused.

  • electrolite #19 2 years ago

    Fair enough, well deserved, cracking machine with a fantastic number of quality games....

    @mkwone
    ...I agree on the PS2 being my favourite though....

    @uglygamer
    ....and that we need the HD, technology-pushing stuff too. I've been saying this for years. What Sony/MS are doing on one hand pushing technology, and what Nintendo are doing in bringing established, disruptive older tech and strategies are co-existing very nicely

  • Toothball #20 2 years ago

    @EarlBassett:

    Last week two people at work came to me separately for some gaming advice, as I've become known for playing games all the time. Both of them were asking for R4 related information; one looking to find out the best cartridge for the purpose, the other asking about a source for ROMs. Both were sourcing these things for kids who had recently got a DS.

    I don't have a clue myself though as I actually like buying games. I never pirate them because I have too many queued up that I've bought. I don't have the time to play all of those, so getting more for free seems like a hugely redundant prospect. I berated them a little for their accusations, but the next day one of them was telling me that he'd found some and the other has probably ordered one from wherever. It is quite a sad state of affairs now that you mention it.

  • Collymilad #21 2 years ago

    *facepalm*

  • canIdoyabombsforya #22 2 years ago

    @Mkwone

    "No question it's a great feat but nothing will change my mind of the Ps2 being the best bit of gaming kit ever."

    You're too young to remember a proper step forward in gaming 'kit' which was the PS1. Most people already into gaming, found the PS2 to be a dissapointment in its early life. Indeed as a piece of 'kit' it was the inferior hardware of its generation. What was achieved on the platform was impressive though, with Sony dishing out a lesson in 'brand' value over technology.
    Which is why it's maybe slightly ironic, that they thought they would try to take over the handheld market with the higher spec product this time and resorting to accuse Nintendo of making gimmicks. I think most people agreed with them when the first photos of PSP and DS were shown side by side.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #23 2 years ago

    @ electrolite

    "....and that we need the HD, technology-pushing stuff too. I've been saying this for years. What Sony/MS are doing on one hand pushing technology"

    They hardly push technology these days, a lot of it is cut down from what is already out there, and some real high tech we will never get to see.
    Sega had a higher definition VGA output 5 years before MS did, but nobody was interested.
    The 360 did not push technology as such, not like the old days when console/home computer development was custom designed and cutting edge, at a time when PCs had no colour or sound. Then there was the real push from the Arcades which blew anything away. We have only just come close to surround screens and quality steering wheel and pedals, first seen over 15 years ago in the arcades. Sony may have pushed console design on paper, but then cut it down for the consumer. At the end of the day they are restricted by price point, and as it was the PS3 cost $800 to build on launch.
    A console that really pushed technology would be slated as being too expensive.
    Edited by 1 at 11/12/09 @ 09:10

  • Mkwone #24 2 years ago

    @canIdoyabombsforya
    Too young? please i'm old enough to remeber games on cassette. :p

    The PS was great as well but the article compared the DS and PS2 and i was merely saying i prefered the PS2. PS was good but lack of funds meant i couldn't afford the games :(.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #25 2 years ago

    @MKwone

    I can understansd the PS2 being 'the' favourite platform, with the some of the best games, perhaps, but not the 'best piece of kit' not by a long way. It really wasn't remarkable or a big jump apart from having DVD playback and obtaining the most support from 3rd parties thanks to the brand. Serious gamers will also point out that as the PS2 took off, PC gaming was probably at its most impressive and the FPS games of the time really did put console games in the shade.

    If you remember cassettes, then you will remember gaming on the Amiga with a hard disk way before it became the norm this generation. Or the Dreamcast with VGA, online play with built in modem, webrowser, broadband adapter, analog triggers, all ahead of its itime.
    Back on topic, the PSP is a better peice of kit than the DS, but as the PS2 showed, the best doesn't always come out on top.

  • electrolite #26 2 years ago

    @canIdobombsforya

    I meant more in pushing the technology within the limits of what they think they can get in there while still ultimately returning a profit after initial hardware losses and subsequent software sales

  • Lunatic4ever #27 2 years ago

    dude ! these are sick numbers!
    nevertheless i i dont feel like the DS is omnipresent. maybe just beause i really dont care about it that much.
    ever since i bought my ipod this whole touchscreen-thing got pretty odinary to me.

    crazy how with time things change,isnt it? from playing gameboy back in the day ...now look at it. its amazing.