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
| Mega Drive / Genesis | DS | |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative units (estimated) | ≈ 28,540,000 | 154,020,000 |
| After 7y 5m on sale | ≈ 28.5M | ≈ 152M |
| Released | October 29, 1988 | November 21, 2004 |
| Time on the market | 7y 5m | 11y 4m |
| Average per day | ≈ 11K | ≈ 37K |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which sold more, the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis or the Nintendo DS?
As of October 31, 2026, the Nintendo DS leads our tracked comparison: about 154 million units against 28.5 million for the Sega Mega Drive / Genesis, a gap of 125.5 million. Figures may mix reported shipments, customer sales and estimates.
How many Sega Mega Drive / Genesis and Nintendo DS consoles have been sold?
Sega Mega Drive / Genesis: calculated from reported figures: 28.54 million units as of March 31, 1996 (Famitsu issue 392, the makers' shipment figures; sell-in (units shipped)). 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