Best-selling consoles of 2016
The PlayStation 4 was the best-selling console of 2016, with about 19.5 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Nintendo 3DS (7.3 million) and the Nintendo Wii U (957,803).
Every system in 2016
Units sold worldwide from January 1 to December 31, 2016, with each system's share of the tracked total and its change on 2015.
| # | System | Maker | Units in 2016 | Share | vs 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  PlayStation 4 | 19.51M | 70% | +11% | |
| 2 |  Nintendo 3DS | 7.26M | 26% | −7% | |
| 3 |  Nintendo Wii U | 957,803 | 3% | −72% | |
| 4 |  Nintendo DS | 2,460 | 0% | −80% |
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 2016 are left out, so the tracked total is not the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
What was the best-selling console of 2016?
The PlayStation 4, with about 19.5 million units sold worldwide, ahead of the Nintendo 3DS (7.3 million) and the Nintendo Wii U (957,803). Units per year are estimated from the makers' published totals.
How many consoles were sold in 2016?
The 4 systems with enough published figures for 2016 add up to about 27.7 million units. Systems without figures around 2016 are left out, so the whole market was larger.
How did the PlayStation 4 do in 2016 compared with 2015?
It sold about 19.5 million units in 2016, against about 17.5 million in 2015.
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