DS sells 100 million units worldwide [update]

by JC Fletcher { Mar 11th 2009 at 12:19PM }

As of the end of last year, the Nintendo DS had sold 96.22 million units around the world. Since it continues to sell, it should be no surprise, then, that the handheld has now achieved the ginormous 100 million milestone. According to a press release sent out today by Nintendo, the 100 millionth DS system was sold on March 6. Did you buy a DS on March 6? You could have a piece of history! And you'll never know.

The worldwide DSi launch next month should only speed the rate of sales for the handheld. That number is only going to get crazier. It seems likely to pass the PlayStation's 102 million this year, on the way to overtaking the Game Boy/Color's 118 million!

Update: after the break, a graph of worldwide DS sales, sent along with Nintendo of America's press release about the milestone.

Gallery: Nintendo DSi

Tags: iwata, sales

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Mr Khan @ Mar 11th 2009 12:29PM

100 million in 4.5 years?

Seems about right. Now let's see how far it can go with the DSi pushing it along for another 2.5 years

Cody @ Mar 11th 2009 12:37PM

Damn that black DSi is sexy...

sony boy @ Mar 11th 2009 3:29PM

wait, do they count the dsi as well?

Zephiel @ Mar 11th 2009 5:08PM

Seeing as its still a DS and dosn't actually do anything different, common sense would imply it counts.

Rhamsey @ Mar 11th 2009 12:31PM

congrats ds. oh how i love you so much.

Markez @ Mar 11th 2009 12:31PM

This reminds me I need to get back to FFIV.

TALLY HO!

TheWatchmen09 @ Mar 11th 2009 12:34PM

Lol sony got dominated this generation....

Alien Lord whisperer @ Mar 11th 2009 1:47PM

I KNOW! I LAUGHED OUT LOUD AS WELL.

/sarcasm

el serpiente @ Mar 11th 2009 3:08PM

Lol hello dear.

Lol did you buy the papers today?

Lol i left them on the kitchen table.

Lol thanks.

Donald @ Mar 11th 2009 12:35PM

I'm responsible for 4 of them. Stupid sexy two-tone DSes...

Markez @ Mar 11th 2009 12:38PM

Whoa balls. I actually managed to resist getting a black one, surprising myself. You? You I'm disappointed in.

Alright alright, count me in for 2, phat and the Lite :P

AwesomeTown @ Mar 11th 2009 12:42PM

I want a lite so bad to replace my phat, but I have resisted so far.

JXCgunrunna @ Mar 11th 2009 12:48PM

@awesome town I love the lonely island. funny shit

why dont u wait for the DSi? if you already have one with the GBA slot, y not wait for one that is a bigger step up?

AwesomeTown @ Mar 11th 2009 1:05PM

I'm thinking about it, but I don't want it enough to pay $170.

Nook @ Mar 11th 2009 6:23PM

between the wife and I:
wife = 3
myself = 2

these included two launch day units.

funny, there are no DS games I want now, and none announced thta call to me. I might get CoD W@W DS, but RR comes first.

SKI @ Mar 11th 2009 12:38PM

"Did you buy a DS on March 6? You could have a piece of history! And you'll never know."

If you have a receipt from that day, claim that it could be the 100 Millionth and sell it for $$$ on ebay (double that if you bought it at the Nintendo World Store).

Psycho300x @ Mar 11th 2009 12:40PM

Alright! Good run guys, time for a new Nintendo handheld with more powerful hardware! (lets skip the DSi please.)

Meh @ Mar 11th 2009 2:55PM

Yeah, let's skip the fact that DSi actually HAS more powerful hardware.

Psycho300x @ Mar 11th 2009 4:17PM

Thanks, smart ass.

Wardo @ Mar 11th 2009 12:50PM

Man, I'm a sucker for new versions of old technology. I bought pretty much every single gameboy iteration there was(yes including the micro) and I have both the DS phat and lite.

So it should be no surprise that I am going to get the DSi as well.

I am proud to say that I don't buy multiple versions of the same system based on colors, now that's just crazy!

Jerk Face @ Mar 11th 2009 4:26PM

The GB micro is so fucking slick. I think about buying one on eBay all the time.

Nook @ Mar 11th 2009 6:27PM

@ jerk face - I got a micro at launch and love it! For what it is, it's nice. If you have Doom though...well, let's just say the micro doesn't fare well for handling in that genre....like there were alot of FPS for GBA XD

I love my micro, add some Zelda or Golden Sun....nice!!

cloud858rk @ Mar 11th 2009 10:16PM

Just make sure you have games to play if you get a micro. I bought one, I like it but I don't have anything new to play for it. :(

Naota @ Mar 11th 2009 1:07PM

i've got a launch ds phat and the red and black lite from the Brain Age 2 bundle.
can't wait for the dsi!

Lee @ Mar 11th 2009 1:15PM

Original and Lite here.
Best gaming system ive played that. Good mix of casual and 'hardcore' titles, perfect balance really.

Abk @ Mar 11th 2009 5:46PM

ahhh those days i will never forget.

B @ Mar 11th 2009 1:19PM

Only 20million to go to beat the Gameboy + GB Color WW sales. Kind of disappointing really, nothing on the DS can even scratch the surface of what Pokemon R/Y/B meant to me.

Abk @ Mar 11th 2009 5:50PM

ahhh those days i will never forget

Arnie @ Mar 11th 2009 1:25PM

I can proudly say I am officially as of today part of this club :)

Markez @ Mar 11th 2009 1:28PM

I remember back when I first got mine that WarioWare: Touched was a real blast and a cool use of the touch screen. Probably pretty dirt cheap now, might be worth you picking it up!

Arnie @ Mar 11th 2009 1:32PM

Well picked up Chrono Trigger, Professor Layton, Legend of Zelda, The World Ends with You & pre-ordered GTA China Town Wars just based on the sniper demo :)
Thanks for the tip, it will be next on my list.

Jerk Face @ Mar 11th 2009 4:27PM

The World Ends With You gets me hot in a place deep, deep inside. It is damned good.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Mar 11th 2009 1:32PM

Wow. That is impressive, yet disappointing at the same time. I can't remember the last time I heard about a noteworthy DS game. Well I don't have a DS so I guess I'm not the best judge for this.

To many more million units! Many, many, MANY more.

Lee @ Mar 11th 2009 7:18PM

with an avatar like that no you're not best to judge. infact I reckon most just saw that picture and skipped your comment.

whether or not you care to admit it the DS has a massive library of incredible games. but you'll never admit that I bet.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Mar 13th 2009 6:14PM

No all I'm saying is that recently, there haven't been any noteworthy DS games that have floated to the main Joystiq hub instead of the Nintendo 'spoke'. The reveal of A Boy and His Blob might finally push me over the edge to get a DS and the upcoming DSi is admittedly sexy.

I just reread my comment and I did totally came off as a fanboy. I didn't mean to and I'm sorry about that.

Dblade @ Mar 14th 2009 10:30PM

There's a ton of them. Avalon Code for one i'm playing right now, and it's a trip. This month the second crystal chronicles game comes out too. I think also Peggle is releasing soon. They are out there, it's just that I've noticed web-wide most DS games don't get the publicity non-portable console ones do, so they tend to sneak under the radar.

StarFoxA @ Mar 11th 2009 1:42PM

I'm still rocking the original Electric Blue DS phat. Heck yes.

B3astofthe3ast @ Mar 11th 2009 1:56PM

It's getting dangerously close to the PS2!

Ryan LN @ Mar 11th 2009 2:38PM

I'm not sure whether I should be happy or sad to hear this. On the one hand, I'm happy because in this global economic environment it is awesome to see ANYONE out there making money and not firing people, and if Nintendo can be one of the rocks we lash our ship of gaming to to weather this giant shitstorm of a mess we call the world economy then that's *great* news. On the other hand, the "Nintendo Way", while being incredibly popular, sometimes leaves me wanting. Don't get me wrong- with the exception of the Virtual Boy (one of my better decisions) I have owned every single console that Nintendo has put together- but how I wished they'd come out with something as user friendly as Xbox Live or join the 21st century and give me a console with an HDMI console. Not sure why I'm bitching though... it's kind of like being pissed at Pablo Picasso for not being Vincent Van Gogh. If they weren't stick-in-the-mud-do-it-our-way bastards, they'd probably be Sega. Viva Nintendo!

sergioalb64 @ Mar 11th 2009 3:07PM

Hells yeah; wOOt!

Sony, is this the gimmicky fad you were talking about back in August 2004? What, it just sold 100 million, over twice what the PSP has done...

...and counting! This is awesome. I bought 4 of those 100 million, out of which I still have two, and I'm getting a DSi on launch.

The DS will be the best-selling handheld AND game system of all time for a long time; long live the DS!