Best-selling consoles of 2006
The Nintendo DS was the best-selling console of 2006, with about 19.2 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the PlayStation 2 (14 million) and the PlayStation Portable (9.7 million).
Every system in 2006
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 2006, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 2005.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 2006 | Share | vs 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nintendo DS | 19.25M | 30% | +66% | |
| 2 |  PlayStation 2 | 14.02M | 22% | −30% | |
| 3 |  PlayStation Portable | 9.66M | 15% | −33% | |
| 4 |  Xbox 360 | 8.89M | 14% | +485% | |
| 5 |  Game Boy Advance | 5.51M | 9% | −45% | |
| 6 |  Nintendo Wii | 3.22M | 5% | New | |
| 7 |  PlayStation 3 | 1.72M | 3% | New | |
| 8 |  Nintendo GameCube | 908,111 | 1% | −65% | |
| 9 |  Xbox | 817,892 | 1% | −79% |
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 2006 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 2006?
The Nintendo DS, with about 19.2 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the PlayStation 2 (14 million) and the PlayStation Portable (9.7 million). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 2006?
The 9 systems with enough published figures for 2006 add up to about 64 million units. Systems without figures around 2006 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the Nintendo DS do in 2006 compared with 2005?
It sold about 19.2 million units in 2006, against about 11.6 million in 2005.
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