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 | DS | |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative units (estimated) | ≈ 27,640,000 | 154,020,000 |
| After 11y 4m on sale | – | ≈ 154M |
| Released | September 11, 1977 | November 21, 2004 |
| Time on the market | 14y 3m | 11y 4m |
| Average per day | ≈ 5K | ≈ 37K |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which sold more, the Atari 2600 or the Nintendo DS?
As of October 31, 2026, the Nintendo DS leads our tracked comparison: about 154 million units against 27.6 million for the Atari 2600, a gap of 126.4 million. Figures may mix reported shipments, customer sales and estimates.
How many Atari 2600 and Nintendo DS consoles have been sold?
Atari 2600: source estimate: 27.64 million units as of January 1, 1992 (Guinness World Records; measurement not specified). Nintendo DS: 154 million units as of March 31, 2016 (Nintendo IR Historical Data - Consolidated Sales Transition by Region, as of March 31, 2016, pdf; 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