Best-selling consoles of 2004
The Game Boy Advance was the best-selling console of 2004, with about 15.7 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the PlayStation 2 (12 million) and the Xbox (6.1 million).
Every system in 2004
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 2004, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 2003.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 2004 | Share | vs 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Game Boy Advance | 15.7M | 36% | −12% | |
| 2 |  PlayStation 2 | 11.98M | 27% | −40% | |
| 3 |  Xbox | 6.12M | 14% | +10% | |
| 4 |  Nintendo GameCube | 4.09M | 9% | −30% | |
| 5 |  Nintendo DS | 2.87M | 7% | New | |
| 6 |  PlayStation | 2.51M | 6% | −37% | |
| 7 |  PlayStation Portable | 537,333 | 1% | New | |
| 8 |  Nintendo Entertainment System | 7,378 | 0% | – |
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 2004 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 2004?
The Game Boy Advance, with about 15.7 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the PlayStation 2 (12 million) and the Xbox (6.1 million). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 2004?
The 8 systems with enough published figures for 2004 add up to about 43.8 million units. Systems without figures around 2004 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the Game Boy Advance do in 2004 compared with 2003?
It sold about 15.7 million units in 2004, against about 17.9 million in 2003.
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