The race from launch day
Cumulative units by months since each console's own launch. Figures between reports are modelled; where reports are years apart, the line is a rough approximation, not observed annual sales.
Side by side
| Atari 2600 | 3DS | |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative units (estimated) | ≈ 27,640,000 | 75,940,000 |
| After 9y 7m on sale | – | ≈ 75.9M |
| Released | September 11, 1977 | February 26, 2011 |
| Time on the market | 14y 3m | 9y 7m |
| Average per day | ≈ 5K | ≈ 22K |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which sold more, the Atari 2600 or the Nintendo 3DS?
As of October 31, 2026, the Nintendo 3DS leads our tracked comparison: about 75.9 million units against 27.6 million for the Atari 2600, a gap of 48.3 million. Figures may mix reported shipments, customer sales and estimates.
How many Atari 2600 and Nintendo 3DS consoles have been sold?
Atari 2600: source estimate: 27.64 million units as of January 1, 1992 (Guinness World Records; measurement not specified). Nintendo 3DS: 75.94 million units as of September 30, 2020 (Nintendo IR Dedicated Video Game Sales Units page, as of September 30, 2020, Wayback Machine copy; measurement not specified).
Figures can measure shipments, customer sales or estimates; these are not directly interchangeable. Between reports our model projects an estimate, not observed transactions. The changing digits show the model's output, not its accuracy. Its inputs and assumptions are corrected when new figures are available. Sources and method