The bestselling video games of all time

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is one of the most iconic Western RPGs ever made. Todd Howard, director of Bethesda Game Studios, initially reported the game sold more than 30 million copies in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone. But as of 2023, it has surpassed 60 million units. In the same interview, Howard said the average player spends more than 150 hours in the game. If just getting started, take a look at these Skyrim tips for some useful info.

Wii Sports is a bit of a cheat entry. Bundled with every Wii console, the game “sold” as many units as the Wii, even if the players didn’t want a copy. Again continuing Nintendo’s tradition of piggybacking one product’s sales on the back of another, Wii Sports sold more than 82 million units. Although the Wii itself topped 100 million sales, the last 20 million or so are likely credited to the Wii Mini. When it launched, the Wii Mini didn’t include a pack-in game, though it was later released with a copy of Mario Kart Wii.

According to Take-Two’s earnings report in the first quarter of 2023, Grand Theft Auto V has sold over 180 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the bestselling games of all time. The figure takes into account all sales of the game across console generations. The main reason it has garnered such success (other than the fact that it has a fantastic single-player mode) is thanks to Grand Theft Auto Online. This shared-world multiplayer component sends players through the world of Los Santos with the goal of having the most luxurious life you can imagine. A major component of GTA Online is its in-game purchase system where you can spend real-world money. You can buy currency (in the form of Shark cash) outright, or — and here’s the kicker — you can often find brand new copies of GTA V bundled with Shark cash with a lower price than if you bought the digital currency outright. As a result, players have been known to double- or even triple-dip just to get discounts on in-game cash.