Best-selling consoles of 1997
The PlayStation was the best-selling console of 1997, with about 17.3 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Nintendo 64 (10.7 million) and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (4.7 million).
Every system in 1997
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 1997, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 1996.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 1997 | Share | vs 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  PlayStation | 17.33M | 53% | +131% | |
| 2 |  Nintendo 64 | 10.68M | 33% | +377% | |
| 3 |  Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 4.74M | 14% | – |
A year's units are the difference between each console's curve at the start and the end of the year: the makers' published cumulative totals, with a straight line between two of them. Systems without published figures around 1997 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 1997?
The PlayStation, with about 17.3 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Nintendo 64 (10.7 million) and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (4.7 million). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 1997?
The 3 systems with enough published figures for 1997 add up to about 32.7 million units. Systems without figures around 1997 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the PlayStation do in 1997 compared with 1996?
It sold about 17.3 million units in 1997, against about 7.5 million in 1996.
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