NES Classic Edition Statistics 2026

Nintendo sold 2.3 million NES Classic Edition units worldwide between November 2016 and April 2017. The miniature console retailed at $59.99 and featured 30 built-in games. Following a surprise discontinuation and subsequent rerelease, combined NES and SNES Classic sales exceeded 10 million units by September 2018.

NES Classic Edition Key Statistics

• NES Classic Edition sold 2.3 million units globally by April 2017
• 196,000 units sold in first month across retailers
• Retail price set at $59.99 with 30 pre-installed games
• Secondary market prices reached $200-$500 during shortages
• 1.3 million additional units sold following June 2018 rerelease

NES Classic Edition Sales Performance

Nintendo reported 1.5 million units sold by December 2016. The console recorded 196,000 units sold across various retailers in its first month, with shipments selling out within hours of availability.

By April 2017, global sales reached 2.3 million units. This figure represented five months of sales before Nintendo discontinued the product.

Following the June 2018 rerelease, Nintendo sold approximately 1.3 million additional units through June 30, 2018. The rerelease outsold PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch during its first month back on shelves.

Regional Performance

Japan accounted for 567,000 units sold through December 2016. North American sales dominated the global market, representing the largest share of the 2.3 million total.

NES Classic Edition Pricing Analysis

Nintendo set the retail price at $59.99 for the console. The package included the system, one controller, HDMI cable, and AC adapter with 30 games built in.

Limited supply drove secondary market prices between $200 and $500. Scalpers purchased available inventory and resold units at markups of 235% to 735% above retail price.

Additional controllers sold separately at $9.99 retail. These accessories faced similar supply constraints and secondary market inflation during the shortage period.

Game Library and Content

The console featured 30 built-in NES games. Twenty-two titles appeared across all regional versions, while eight games varied by region.

Top titles included Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, Mega Man 2, and Final Fantasy. The library spanned multiple genres including platformers, RPGs, shooters, and puzzle games.

Notable Included Games

All games supported save states across four slots per title. This feature allowed players to save progress in games originally released without battery-backed saves.

NES Classic Edition Production Timeline

Nintendo launched the console on November 11, 2016. The company originally planned the product as a holiday 2016 exclusive item.

On April 13, 2017, Nintendo announced production would cease. The announcement came despite ongoing demand and immediate sellouts of available inventory.

Nintendo rereleased the console on June 29, 2018. The second production run continued through the 2018 holiday season before permanent discontinuation on December 13, 2018.

Market Impact

The console became the best-selling system of January 2017. Supply constraints led to criticism of Nintendo’s production planning and distribution strategy.

Reggie Fils-Aimé, Nintendo of America President, stated the company “didn’t anticipate how incredible the response would be.” Nintendo cited limited resources and focus on Nintendo Switch production as reasons for discontinuation.

Technical Specifications

The system measured approximately 60% smaller than the original NES console. It featured an Allwinner R16 system on chip with four ARM Cortex-A7 CPU cores and ARM Mali 400 MP2 GPU.

The system supported multiple display modes including CRT filter, 4:3 aspect ratio, and pixel-perfect scaling. Languages included English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, and Japanese for the interface.

Combined Classic Console Performance

Nintendo released the SNES Classic Edition in September 2017 at $79.99 retail. The 16-bit console featured 21 games including previously unreleased Star Fox 2.

Combined sales of NES and SNES Classic editions surpassed 10 million units by September 30, 2018. This figure represented approximately 18 months of availability across both products.

The success of retro gaming consoles demonstrated sustained demand for classic gaming experiences. Both systems achieved bestseller status during their respective release periods.

FAQ

Sources:

Nintendo NES Classic Sales Data
NES Classic Edition Overview
NES Console Sales Statistics
NES Classic Edition Sales Analysis