This is a list of
video games that have sold the highest number of
software units worldwide. The best-selling video game to date is Minecraft, a
sandbox game released by
Mojang in November 2011 for a wide range of
PC,
mobile and
console platforms, selling more than 300 million copies across all platforms. Grand Theft Auto V and
EA's Tetris are the only other known video games to have sold over 100 million copies. The best-selling game on a single platform is Wii Sports, with nearly 83 million sales for the
Wii console. In 2023, Minecraft became the first video game to surpass 300 million copies sold worldwide.[1]
Among the top 50 best-selling video games on this list, over half were developed or published by
Nintendo; four Nintendo titles were published with their affiliate,
The Pokémon Company. Other publishers with multiple entries in the top 50 include
Activision and
Rockstar Games with four games, and
Blizzard Entertainment,
CD Projekt and
Electronic Arts with two games.
Nintendo EAD is the developer with the most games in the top 50, with twelve titles on the list, followed by
Game Freak with six[a]Pokémon games. The oldest game in the top 50 is Pac-Man, released in May 1980, while the most recent is
Hogwarts Legacy, released in February 2023.
^Pokémon games are typically released in pairs, such as
Pokémon Red and Blue, and may include enhanced versions, such as Pokémon Yellow. For the purposes of this list, Pokémon titles released in pairs along with their enhanced versions are counted together.
^
abOnly developers and publishers for the original release of each game are listed, except where noted otherwise.
^Although Minecraft was first publicly available on May 17, 2009,[2] and the full release on November 18, 2011, the game first accepted pre-orders on June 13, 2009, so it started accumulating sales at that time.[3]
^Persson, Markus (June 13, 2009).
"Pre-orders are open!". The Word of Notch.
Tumblr.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
^Director/Producer: Magnus Temple; Executive Producer: Nick Southgate (2004).
"Tetris: From Russia With Love". BBC Four. Event occurs at 51:23.
BBC.
BBC Four.
Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2020. The real winners were Nintendo. To date, Nintendo dealers across the world have sold 8 million Tetris cartridges on the Nintendo Entertainment system.
^Kao, John J. (1989).
Entrepreneurship, creativity & organization: text, cases & readings. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall. p. 45.
ISBN0-13-283011-6. Estimates counted 7 billion coins that by 1982 had been inserted into some 400,000 Pac Man machines worldwide, equal to one game of Pac Man for every person on earth. US domestic revenues from games and licensing of the Pac Man image for T-shirts, pop songs, to wastepaper baskets, etc. exceeded $1 billion.
^Cartridge Sales Since 1980.
Atari Corp. Via "The Agony & The Ecstasy". Once Upon Atari. Episode 4. Scott West Productions. August 10, 2003. 23 minutes in.
^
abcVendel, Curt (May 28, 2009).
"Site News". Atari Museum. Archived from
the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
^"Coleco Mini-Arcades Go Gold"(PDF). Arcade Express. 1 (1): 4. August 15, 1982.
Archived(PDF) from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
This is a list of
video games that have sold the highest number of
software units worldwide. The best-selling video game to date is Minecraft, a
sandbox game released by
Mojang in November 2011 for a wide range of
PC,
mobile and
console platforms, selling more than 300 million copies across all platforms. Grand Theft Auto V and
EA's Tetris are the only other known video games to have sold over 100 million copies. The best-selling game on a single platform is Wii Sports, with nearly 83 million sales for the
Wii console. In 2023, Minecraft became the first video game to surpass 300 million copies sold worldwide.[1]
Among the top 50 best-selling video games on this list, over half were developed or published by
Nintendo; four Nintendo titles were published with their affiliate,
The Pokémon Company. Other publishers with multiple entries in the top 50 include
Activision and
Rockstar Games with four games, and
Blizzard Entertainment,
CD Projekt and
Electronic Arts with two games.
Nintendo EAD is the developer with the most games in the top 50, with twelve titles on the list, followed by
Game Freak with six[a]Pokémon games. The oldest game in the top 50 is Pac-Man, released in May 1980, while the most recent is
Hogwarts Legacy, released in February 2023.
^Pokémon games are typically released in pairs, such as
Pokémon Red and Blue, and may include enhanced versions, such as Pokémon Yellow. For the purposes of this list, Pokémon titles released in pairs along with their enhanced versions are counted together.
^
abOnly developers and publishers for the original release of each game are listed, except where noted otherwise.
^Although Minecraft was first publicly available on May 17, 2009,[2] and the full release on November 18, 2011, the game first accepted pre-orders on June 13, 2009, so it started accumulating sales at that time.[3]
^Persson, Markus (June 13, 2009).
"Pre-orders are open!". The Word of Notch.
Tumblr.
Archived from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
^Director/Producer: Magnus Temple; Executive Producer: Nick Southgate (2004).
"Tetris: From Russia With Love". BBC Four. Event occurs at 51:23.
BBC.
BBC Four.
Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2020. The real winners were Nintendo. To date, Nintendo dealers across the world have sold 8 million Tetris cartridges on the Nintendo Entertainment system.
^Kao, John J. (1989).
Entrepreneurship, creativity & organization: text, cases & readings. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall. p. 45.
ISBN0-13-283011-6. Estimates counted 7 billion coins that by 1982 had been inserted into some 400,000 Pac Man machines worldwide, equal to one game of Pac Man for every person on earth. US domestic revenues from games and licensing of the Pac Man image for T-shirts, pop songs, to wastepaper baskets, etc. exceeded $1 billion.
^Cartridge Sales Since 1980.
Atari Corp. Via "The Agony & The Ecstasy". Once Upon Atari. Episode 4. Scott West Productions. August 10, 2003. 23 minutes in.
^
abcVendel, Curt (May 28, 2009).
"Site News". Atari Museum. Archived from
the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
^"Coleco Mini-Arcades Go Gold"(PDF). Arcade Express. 1 (1): 4. August 15, 1982.
Archived(PDF) from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2012.