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
| Game Boy | 3DS | |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative units (estimated) | ≈ 118,690,000 | 75,940,000 |
| After 9y 7m on sale | ≈ 72.8M | ≈ 75.9M |
| Released | April 21, 1989 | February 26, 2011 |
| Time on the market | 13y 11m | 9y 7m |
| Average per day | ≈ 23K | ≈ 22K |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which sold more, the Game Boy / Game Boy Color or the Nintendo 3DS?
As of October 31, 2026, the Game Boy / Game Boy Color leads our tracked comparison: about 118.7 million units against 75.9 million for the Nintendo 3DS, a gap of 42.8 million. Figures may mix reported shipments, customer sales and estimates.
How many Game Boy / Game Boy Color and Nintendo 3DS consoles have been sold?
Game Boy / Game Boy Color: calculated from reported figures: 118.7 million units as of March 31, 2003 (Nintendo historical data, sales by fiscal year; 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