With the end of the year here, it’s time to look back at the most wanted gaming consoles of 2022. While you may think that only the most recently released systems would appear on this list, you’d be mistaken.
2022 was an excellent year for gaming. Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo all delivered fantastic games for their systems. From Pokémon Legends: Arceus to God of War Ragnarök, it was a great year for gaming. Between high profile exclusives and beloved indies, 2022 saw a little something for everybody.
We’re covering ten consoles in total. The list ranges from the current generation to two generations prior. I’m-A-Puzzle conducted this research. Each system is ranked by monthly Google searches.
The Most Wanted Gaming Consoles of 2022 Are the Newest Systems
After an impressive 2022, the PlayStation 5 is the most wanted gaming console of the year. It has a whopping 5,400,000 monthly Google searches. Its strong performance is on the back of crucial PlayStation exclusives like Horizon: Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarök.
The Nintendo Switch is in second place, with a total of 3,200,000 monthly searches. Note that this is only the Switch; it does not include searches for the Switch Lite. Presumably, the OLED Switch is included in these searches.
The Xbox Series X had 2.3 million searches. This isn’t a surprise, given the struggles with Xbox exclusive games. There are some good games this year for Xbox. However, the must-own exclusives are lacking. We’ll go over the Xbox Series S searches later on the list.
Legacy Nintendo Hardware Dominates the Rest of the Top Ten
Sony’s PlayStation is still doing wrong, coming in fourth place. A total of 1,205,000 average monthly Google searches show that the PS4 is still in demand.
We didn’t have to wait long for the Xbox Series S. It’s the fifth most wanted gaming console of 2022. The alternate Xbox console comes in at 855,000 monthly searches this year. For those struggling to pick up a new Xbox, may we interest you in the old one? The Xbox One is still sought after. It has 429,000 monthly Google searches.
The rest of the top ten is Nintendo hardware. The Switch Lite, Nintendo’s smaller Switch model, has 414,000 monthly searches. The Nintendo DS and 3DS are still alive and well. They have 117,000 and 93,000 monthly searches. Given the demand for retro handhelds, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Finally, the Nintendo Wii brings up the rear. Despite the console’s age, 56,000 monthly searches prove a market exists. The strength of casual games, combined with the ability to play Nintendo GameCube titles, is undoubtedly helping the Wii.
Analyzing the Results
Again, it’s no surprise to see the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on the list. What’s remarkable is the appearance of legacy Nintendo systems. The Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Wii all continue to have a tremendous amount of staying power. The Xbox Series S, meanwhile, is lagging behind the older PlayStation 4. As we said before, the lack of Xbox exclusives hurts it on the list of most wanted gaming consoles of 2022.
A spokesperson for I’m-A-Puzzle commented on the findings: “It’s fascinating to see the global popularity of consoles, with PlayStation winning the search battle against its rivals Nintendo and Microsoft. There will be millions of people around the world hoping to find one of these consoles under the tree this Christmas, but with ongoing stock issues the latest PlayStation and Xboxes could be difficult to come by.”
The study was conducted by I’m-A-Puzzle where users can play thousands of online jigsaw puzzles for free, with picture puzzles and games of all types – from animals to bridges to landscapes and more.
