Best-selling consoles of 2012
The Nintendo 3DS was the best-selling console of 2012, with about 13.8 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Xbox 360 (10 million) and the PlayStation 3 (9.6 million).
Every system in 2012
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 2012, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 2011.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 2012 | Share | vs 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Nintendo 3DS | 13.79M | 28% | +7% | |
| 2 |  Xbox 360 | 10M | 20% | −33% | |
| 3 |  PlayStation 3 | 9.58M | 20% | −32% | |
| 4 |  Nintendo Wii | 4.41M | 9% | −57% | |
| 5 |  PlayStation Vita | 3.75M | 8% | +1381% | |
| 6 |  Nintendo Wii U | 3.06M | 6% | New | |
| 7 |  Nintendo DS | 2.61M | 5% | −74% | |
| 8 |  PlayStation Portable | 1.7M | 3% | −76% |
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 2012 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 2012?
The Nintendo 3DS, with about 13.8 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Xbox 360 (10 million) and the PlayStation 3 (9.6 million). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 2012?
The 8 systems with enough published figures for 2012 add up to about 48.9 million units. Systems without figures around 2012 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the Nintendo 3DS do in 2012 compared with 2011?
It sold about 13.8 million units in 2012, against about 12.9 million in 2011.
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