Best-selling consoles of 1998
The PlayStation was the best-selling console of 1998, with about 22.5 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Game Boy / Game Boy Color (12.4 million) and the Nintendo 64 (8.2 million).
Every system in 1998
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 1998, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 1997.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 1998 | Share | vs 1997 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  PlayStation | 22.49M | 50% | +30% | |
| 2 |  Game Boy / Game Boy Color | 12.35M | 27% | – | |
| 3 |  Nintendo 64 | 8.24M | 18% | −23% | |
| 4 |  Super Nintendo Entertainment System | 1.58M | 4% | −67% | |
| 5 |  Sega Dreamcast | 254,032 | 1% | New |
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 1998 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 1998?
The PlayStation, with about 22.5 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Game Boy / Game Boy Color (12.4 million) and the Nintendo 64 (8.2 million). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 1998?
The 5 systems with enough published figures for 1998 add up to about 44.9 million units. Systems without figures around 1998 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the PlayStation do in 1998 compared with 1997?
It sold about 22.5 million units in 1998, against about 17.3 million in 1997.
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