Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Nearly nine years after its release, the Nintendo Switch has become the company's best-selling console of all time, with more than 155 million units sold.
From the Nintendo Entertainment System rescuing a collapsed gaming market in the 1980s, to the GameCube being outsold by Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's hardware history is as much of a story of reinvention as it is success.
Now, with the Switch’s runaway success serving as vindication, its successor — the Switch 2 — is on a similar trajectory, having sold more than 17 million units since launch.
But with fans still expecting Nintendo to surprise them, the company’s next device is facing the weight of its own invention.
Watch the video above to learn more about Nintendo’s game-changing console strategy.
This is the second installment in the “Built for Billions” three-part series on Nintendo. Don’t miss part one, which explores Nintendo’s business model, and part three, which looks at its biggest bet beyond games and hardware.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - Saving Video Games
02:23 - Nintendo’s Hardware Misses
03:06 - Handheld Strategy
04:09 - Wii Revolution
05:06 - Wii U Failure
06:01 - The Rise of Mobile Gaming
07:19 - Pokemon Go
08:24 - The Switch Era
10:21 - Credits
#CNBC #BuiltForBillions #Nintendo
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Nearly nine years after its release, the Nintendo Switch has become the company's best-selling console of all time, with more than 155 million units sold.
From the Nintendo Entertainment System rescuing a collapsed gaming market in the 1980s, to the GameCube being outsold by Sony's PlayStation 2, Nintendo's hardware history is as much of a story of reinvention as it is success.
Now, with the Switch’s runaway success serving as vindication, its successor — the Switch 2 — is on a similar trajectory, having sold more than 17 million units since launch.
But with fans still expecting Nintendo to surprise them, the company’s next device is facing the weight of its own invention.
Watch the video above to learn more about Nintendo’s game-changing console strategy.
This is the second installment in the “Built for Billions” three-part series on Nintendo. Don’t miss part one, which explores Nintendo’s business model, and part three, which looks at its biggest bet beyond games and hardware.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
01:16 - Saving Video Games
02:23 - Nintendo’s Hardware Misses
03:06 - Handheld Strategy
04:09 - Wii Revolution
05:06 - Wii U Failure
06:01 - The Rise of Mobile Gaming
07:19 - Pokemon Go
08:24 - The Switch Era
10:21 - Credits
#CNBC #BuiltForBillions #Nintendo
-----
Subscribe: @cnbci
CNBC International Live: @cnbcinternationalive
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/cnbc-international
TikTok: tiktok.com/@cnbci
Facebook: facebook.com/cnbcinternational
Instagram: instagram.com/cnbcinternational
Threads: threads.net/@cnbcinternational
X: twitter.com/CNBCi
Telegram: https://t.me/cnbci
WhatsApp: bit.ly/CNBCiWhatsApp
