The world’s most popular gaming console is about to be overthrown

When the Playstation 2 hit stores in Europe on November 24, 2000, it was intended to have a lifespan of around ten years, but the console proved to be far more durable.

Production didn’t stop until 2013, the same year the Playstation 4 was launched, by which time the PS2 had quietly sold over 160 million copies worldwide.

The last games for the machine were released in the fall of 2013 in the form of the two football games FIFA 14 in September and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 in November.

Only around half a million units were sold for the North American launch, which led to a frenzy of online sales, with machines being put up for sale at prices far above the shelf price.

The PS2 ended up with a game library of around 4,000 titles and a number of notable exclusive titles such as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, God of War and Final Fantasy X.

At the same time, the PS2 functioned as a DVD player, making it unnecessary for many to invest in a separate player for movies.

It is this platform that Nintendo is now really challenging with Switch. Nintendo’s hybrid console has surpassed 154 million units sold, and the distance to PS2 is getting smaller every quarter.

The successor makes the old one more interesting

The picture changes especially because Switch 2 is in a completely different price range. The new console will have a starting price of around 450 dollars, or approximately 2,900 Danish kroner.

Switch Lite is priced at around $200, around DKK 1,300, the regular Switch at around $300, just under DKK 1,900, and the OLED version at around $350, around DKK 2,200.

This distribution means that Switch 2 will compete directly with PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and expensive PC handhelds, while the current Switch models will live on as cheaper alternatives.

According to Kotaku.com, this pricing structure could be crucial because it gives parents and mainstream gamers a clear choice between “the expensive, new” and “the cheap, familiar” machine.

For many families, a console costing around £2,900 won’t feel like an obvious “my first games console” for a six or seven-year-old child.

So birthdays and Christmas parties will go on as always, and the shelves will still contain a Switch Lite and a standard Switch at significantly lower prices. Through this, you get access to eight years of accumulated game library.

Games, time and hunting for Switch sales

In order for Switch to catch up with PS2, it still needs to sell over six million additional units after the launch of Switch 2. That sounds like a lot for an ageing machine, but Nintendo is planning for a smooth transition.

For Christmas sales in 2025, Switch will get two heavyweight titles in the form of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Legends: Z-A. In addition, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream and Rhythm Heaven Groove are announced for 2026.

At the same time, many expect that smaller and medium-sized developers will continue to publish for Switch because its huge user base still makes it financially attractive.

If Switch stays on the market for at least a couple more years with sales of 1-2 million units per quarter and an extra boost during the Christmas period, the overall curve could start to resemble Sony’s own history.

Playstation 2 continued to sell long after its successor was launched, partly because Playstation 3 was originally priced at around $599 for the 60GB model, or around £3,800.