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    List of Best-Selling Games in Every Console Generation From 1998

    Phil JamesBy Updated:14 Mins Read
    List of Best-selling Games Every Console Generation From 1998

    The world of video gaming has come a long way since the early days of Atari and Nintendo. As console generations have evolved, so too have the games that captivate and entertain us. Today, we will explore the best-selling games for each major console generation, showcasing the titles that defined gaming history and left an indelible mark on the industry.

    From the pixelated adventures of Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System to the breathtaking, open-world New York City in Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation 5, these iconic games represent the pinnacle of their respective console generations. Join us as we journey through the evolution of gaming and discover the best-selling titles that continue to shape the industry today.

    Best Selling Games by Console Generation

    The video game industry has witnessed tremendous growth, with each console generation introducing new and innovative titles. Let’s look at the best-selling games from each major console generation.

    2020–present: Ninth Generation

    The ninth generation of video game consoles began with the release of Xbox Series X and Series S and the PlayStation 5 in November 2020. Some of the best-selling games from this ongoing console generation so far include:

    • Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – 11 million copies sold
    • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – 3.97 million copies sold
    • Elden Ring – 3.64 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy XVI – 3 million copies sold
    • Demon’s Souls – 1.4 million copies sold
    • EA Sports FC 24 – 1.04 million copies sold
    • Stellar Blade – 1 million copies sold
    • Returnal – 560,000 copies sold

    It’s important to note that Microsoft has stopped releasing Xbox game sales figures, which makes it difficult to provide accurate data on the best-selling games for the Xbox Series X|S.

    It’s worth noting that some popular PlayStation exclusives like “God of War: Ragnarok” have sold over 15 million copies, while “Horizon: Forbidden West” has surpassed 8.4 million copies. However, these sales figures are combined across both PS4 and PS5 platforms. Since Sony has not released specific sales data for the PS5 versions of these games, we have decided to exclude them from our list.

    2012–present: Eighth Generation

    During the eighth generation of video game consoles (2012–present), the following consoles were released:

    1. Nintendo Switch (released in 2017)
    2. PlayStation 4 (released in 2013)
    3. Wii U (released in 2012)
    4. Xbox One (released in 2013)

    These consoles have seen significant success in their respective markets, with the Nintendo Switch being the top-selling console of this generation. With its hybrid portable design, the Nintendo Switch has made a significant impact and continues to be popular among gamers to date.

    Nintendo’s Wii U had lower sales compared to its competitors. Still, they contributed to Nintendo’s lineup of exclusives, while the PlayStation 4 has developed a solid following with its focus on exclusive games and lower launch price than Xbox One.

    The Xbox One’s reveal event in 2013 significantly impacted the console’s initial low sales performance. Microsoft made several announcements during the event, but these were met with negative reactions from gamers and the gaming press.

    Below are best-selling games on eight-generation consoles.

    Best Selling Xbox One Games

    • PUBG: Battlegrounds – 9 million copies sold
    • Halo 5: Guardians – 5 million copies sold
    • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – 4.3 million copies sold
    • Dead Rising 3 – 3.10 million copies sold
    • Cuphead – 3.00 million copies sold
    • Cyberpunk 2077 – 2.33 million copies sold
    • Forza Motorsport 5 – 2 million copies sold
    • Monster Hunter World – 1.78 million copies sold
    • Ark: Survival Evolved – 1.5 million copies sold
    • Ryse: Son of Rome – 1.28 million copies sold
    • Forza Motorsport 6 – 1 million copies sold
    • Rise of the Tomb Raider – 1 million copies sold

    Best Selling Wii U Games

    • Mario Kart 8 – 8.46 million copies sold
    • Super Mario 3D World – 5.89 million copies sold
    • New Super Mario Bros. U – 5.82 million copies sold
    • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U – 5.38 million copies sold
    • Nintendo Land – 5.21 million copies sold
    • Splatoon – 4.95 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Maker – 4.02 million copies sold
    • New Super Luigi U – 3.07 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD – 2.37 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 10 – 2.27 million copies sold
    • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – 2.02 million copies sold
    • Wii Party U – 1.79 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 1.70 million copies sold
    • Yoshi’s Woolly World  – 1.57 million copies sold
    • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker – 1.37 million copies sold
    • Pikmin 3 – 1.28 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD – 1.17 million copies sold
    • Lego City Undercover  – 1.15 million copies sold
    • Hyrule Warriors – 1 million copies sold
    • Pokkén Tournament – 1 million copies sold

    It’s worth noting that many of the top-selling games mentioned above for the Wii U were bundled with the console during its lifetime, which likely contributed to their high sales figures. Some of these popular titles were eventually ported to other Nintendo consoles, such as the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch, further increasing their overall sales numbers.

    Best Selling PlayStation 4 Games

    • Marvel’s Spider-Man – 20 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto V – 20 million copies sold
    • God of War – 19.5 million copies sold
    • Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – 16 million copies sold
    • Gran Turismo Sport – 12.72 million copies sold
    • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – 10.8 million copies sold
    • The Last of Us Part II – 10 million copies sold
    • Horizon Zero Dawn – 10 million copies sold
    • The Last of Us Remastered – 10 million copies sold
    • Ghost of Tsushima – 9.73 million copies sold
    • Star Wars Battlefront – 8.42 million copies sold
    • Bloodborne – 7.46 million copies sold 
    • Days Gone – 7.32 million copies sold 
    • Ratchet & Clank – 7 million copies sold
    • Infamous Second Son – 6 million copies sold
    • Detroit: Become Human – 5.5 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy VII Remake – 5 million copies sold
    • Monster Hunter: World – 4.67 million copies sold
    • Cyberpunk 2077 – 3.83 million copies sold
    • FIFA 17 – 3.12 million copies sold

    Best Selling Nintendo Switch Games

    • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 61.97 million copies sold
    • Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 45.36 million copies sold
    • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 34.22 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 31.85 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Odyssey – 27.96 million copies sold
    • Pokémon Sword and Shield – 26.27 million copies sold
    • Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – 24.92 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Party – 20.66 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – 20.61 million copies sold
    • New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 17.45 million copies sold
    • Ring Fit Adventure – 15.38 million copies sold
    • Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! – 15.07 million copies sold
    • Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl – 15.06 million copies sold
    • Pokémon Legends: Arceus – 14.83 million copies sold
    • Luigi’s Mansion 3 – 14.25 million copies sold
    • Splatoon 2 – 13.60 million copies sold
    • Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – 13.47 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Bros. Wonder – 13.44 million copies sold
    • Nintendo Switch Sports – 13.11 million copies sold
    • Mario Party Superstars – 12.89 million copies sold
    • Splatoon 3 – 11.96 million copies sold

    While the Nintendo Switch was released during the eighth generation of consoles, it’s worth considering that it competes directly with the current ninth-generation consoles, such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch has sold over 141.32 million units, outperforming the PlayStation 5’s over 60 million units and the Xbox Series X/S’s approximately 21 million units.

    2005–2017: Seventh Generation

    The seventh generation of video game consoles began in 2005 with the release of the Xbox 360 and continued with the launch of the PlayStation 3 in 2017. This generation was characterized by a significant leap in graphics and processing power, allowing for more immersive gaming experiences and setting the stage for the gaming industry’s future.

    During the seventh generation of video game consoles, the gaming industry saw revolutionary consoles that would shape the future of gaming. These consoles included:

    • Xbox 360
    • PlayStation 3
    • Wii

    Best Selling Xbox 360 Games

    • Kinect Adventures! – 24 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto V – 22.95 million copies sold
    • Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition – 21 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – 14.72 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops – 14.55 million copies sold
    • Halo 3 – 14.5 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops II – 13.7 million copies sold
    • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – 13.7 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 13.49 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto IV – 11.1 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Ghosts – 10.16 million copies sold
    • Halo: Reach – 9.87 million copies sold
    • Halo 4 – 9.41 million copies sold
    • Gears of War – 5 million copies sold
    • Gears of War 2 – 5 million copies sold
    • Batman: Arkham City – 4.73 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 4.211 million copies sold
    • Fable II – 3.5 million copies sold
    • Batman: Arkham Asylum – 3.48 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: World at War – 3.35 million copies sold

    Kinect Adventures! is a collection of five adventure and sports minigames that utilize the Kinect motion camera. The game was bundled with the console.

    Best Selling PlayStation 3 Games

    • Grand Theft Auto V – 29.52 million copies sold
    • Gran Turismo 5 – 11.95 million copies sold
    • The Last of Us – 7 million copies sold
    • Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 6.6 million copies sold
    • Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 6.5 million copies sold
    • Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – 6 million copies sold
    • Batman: Arkham City – 5.48 million
    • Gran Turismo 5 Prologue – 5.35 million copies sold
    • Gran Turismo 6 – 5.22 million copies sold
    • God of War III – 5.2 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy XIII – 5 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – 4.8 million copies sold
    • Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – 4.8 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto IV – 4.33 million copies sold
    • Batman: Arkham Asylum – 4.23 million copies sold
    • MotorStorm – 3.31 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty: Black Ops – 3.269 million copies sold
    • Heavy Rain – 3.03 million copies sold
    • LittleBigPlanet – 3 million copies sold
    • Beyond: Two Souls – 2.8 million copies sold

    Best Selling Wii Games

    • Wii Sports – 82.90 million copies sold
    • Mario Kart Wii – 37.38 million copies sold
    • Wii Sports Resort – 33.14 million copies sold
    • New Super Mario Bros. Wii – 30.32 million copies sold
    • Wii Play – 28.02 million copies sold
    • Wii Fit – 22.67 million copies sold
    • Wii Fit Plus – 21.13 million copies sold
    • Super Smash Bros. Brawl – 13.32 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Galaxy – 12.80 million copies sold
    • Just Dance 3 – 9.92 million copies sold
    • Wii Party – 9.35 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 8 – 8.85 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – 7.50 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Galaxy 2 – 7.41 million copies sold
    • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games – 7.09 million copies sold
    • Donkey Kong Country Returns – 6.53 million copies sold
    • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games – 6.53 million copies sold
    • Link’s Crossbow Training – 5.79 million copies sold
    • Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga – 5.51 million copies sold
    • Just Dance 2 – 5 million copies sold

    It is worth noting that the top four best-selling games for the Wii console were all bundled with the system during its lifetime.

    1998–2013: Sixth Generation

    The sixth generation of video game consoles, spanning from 1998 to 2013, saw the introduction of four notable gaming systems that pushed the boundaries of graphics, gameplay, and online capabilities. They are:

    • Dreamcast
    • PlayStation 2
    • GameCube
    • Xbox

    This generation saw technology start to match the performance of personal computers at the time. During this period, the market was dominated by three main companies: Sega, Sony, and Nintendo. However, a new contender emerged when Microsoft launched its first Xbox system in 2001 to directly respond to the PlayStation 2’s success and potential threat to the PC gaming market. Notably, the Dreamcast was the last home console manufactured by Sega.

    Best Selling Sega Dreamcast Games

    • Sonic Adventure – 2.5 million copies sold
    • Shenmue – 1.2 million copies sold
    • Resident Evil – Code: Veronica – 1.14 million copies sold
    • Soulcalibur – 1 million copies sold
    • Crazy Taxi – 950,000 copies sold
    • NFL 2K1 – 900,000 copies sold
    • NBA 2K1 – 504,000 copies sold
    • Sonic Adventure 2 – 500,000 copies sold
    • Seaman – 399,342 copies sold
    • NHL 2K – 348,000 copies sold
    • World Series Baseball 2K1 – 347,000 copies sold
    • NBA 2K – 311,000 copies sold
    • Sega Rally 2 – 290,000 copies sold
    • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 – 286,000 copies sold
    • Sakura Wars 4: Fall in Love, Maidens – 257,386 copies sold

    Best Selling PlayStation 2 Games

    • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 17.33 million copies sold
    • Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec – 14.89 million copies sold
    • Gran Turismo 4 – 11.76 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – 10.5 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy X – 8.5 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto III – 8.305 million copies sold
    • Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – 7.03 million copies sold
    • Tekken 5 – 6 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy XII – 6 million copies sold
    • Kingdom Hearts – 5.9 million copies sold
    • Final Fantasy X-2 – 5.4 million copies sold
    • Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King – 4.88 million copies sold
    • Kingdom Hearts II – 4.757 million copies sold
    • God of War – 4.61 million copies sold
    • Madden NFL 2005 – 4.35 million copies sold
    • God of War II – 4.24 million copies sold
    • Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy – 4.2 million copies sold
    • EyeToy: Play – 4 million copies sold
    • Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater – 4 million copies sold
    • Madden NFL 2004 – 3.95 million copies sold

    Best Selling Nintendo GameCube Games

    • Super Smash Bros. Melee – 7.41 million copies sold
    • Mario Kart: Double Dash – 6.96 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Sunshine – 5.91 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – 4.43 million copies sold
    • Luigi’s Mansion – 3.33 million copies sold
    • Metroid Prime – 2.84 million copies sold
    • Animal Crossing – 2.71 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 4 – 2.46 million copies sold
    • Pokémon Colosseum – 2.41 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 5 – 2.17 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 7 – 2.08 million copies sold
    • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – 1.91 million copies sold
    • Star Fox Adventures – 1.82 million copies sold
    • Sonic Adventure 2: Battle – 1.73 million copies sold
    • Mario Party 6 – 1.63 million copies sold
    • Pikmin – 1.60 million copies sold
    • Resident Evil 4 – 1.60 million copies sold
    • Sonic Adventure DX: Director’s Cut – 1.60 million copies sold
    • Super Mario Strikers – 1.60 million copies sold
    • The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – 1.43 million copies sold

    Best Selling Xbox Games

    • Halo 2 – 8.46 million copies sold
    • Halo: Combat Evolved – 5 million copies sold
    • Sneak King – 3.2 million copies sold
    • Fable – 3 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City – 2.49 million copies sold
    • Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – 2.4 million copies sold
    • Dead or Alive 3 – 2 million copies sold
    • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – 1.58 million copies sold
    • Counter-Strike – 1.5 million copies sold
    • Ninja Gaiden – 1.5 million copies sold
    • Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – 1.46 million copies sold
    • Need for Speed: Underground 2 – 1.44 million copies sold
    • Madden NFL 2005 – 1.42 million copies sold
    • Madden NFL 06 – 1.41 million copies sold
    • Call of Duty 2: Big Red One – 1.39 million copies sold
    • ESPN NFL 2K5 – 1.38 million copies sold
    • The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind – 1.36 million copies sold
    • Star Wars: Battlefront – 1.22 million copies sold
    • Project Gotham Racing – 1.2 million copies sold
    • Star Wars: Battlefront II – 1.17 million copies sold

    That’s all for this one. If you liked this article, check out our GT Originals to learn about such exciting lists and topics.

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    Phil is a creative and imaginative person who loves to tell stories. He believes video games are a powerful medium that can transport players to new and exciting worlds. He is excited to continue writing and gaming and hopes one day to create a fun video game.

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