The latest hardware sales data for May 2026 confirms that the Nintendo Switch 2 continues to hold a significant lead over the PlayStation 5. During the month of May, the Switch 2 outsold the PlayStation 5 by 308,682 units when comparing the platforms based on their respective launch timelines.
Quick Facts
- Switch 2 Total Sales: 20,758,012 units
- PlayStation 5 Total Sales (Aligned): 13,998,385 units
- Current Lead: 6.76 million units in favor of the Switch 2
- Monthly Gap Change: 308,682 units (Switch 2)
The Nintendo Switch 2, which launched in June 2025, has now been on the market for 12 months. When comparing this 12-month window to the PlayStation 5—which launched in November 2020—the Switch 2 maintains a clear advantage. By the end of its 12th month in October 2021, the PlayStation 5 had sold 14.00 million units, compared to the 20.76 million units shifted by the Switch 2 in its own first year.
Lifetime Sales Context
While the Nintendo Switch 2 is currently outperforming the early trajectory of the PlayStation 5, the two consoles are at different stages of their life cycles. The PlayStation 5 has reached 92.34 million units in lifetime sales to date. Consequently, the Switch 2 remains 71.58 million units behind the total lifetime sales of the Sony console.
Because the launch periods for the two systems do not align—with the Switch 2 releasing in mid-2025 and the PlayStation 5 in late 2020—these comparisons focus on aligned worldwide monthly sales to track the relative performance of each platform during their respective initial years on the market.