TheNintendo Switchis one of Nintendo’s most successful consoles, managing to compete against larger, more powerful hardware by leveraging its handheld functionality and a powerhouse selection of first-party titles. But with the Switch 2 now available, the first Switch is entering its retirement phase. While Nintendo hasn’t discontinued the product, it’s no longer its current focus.
Originally launching on June 23, 2025, the Switch 1 lasted an impressive 3,016 days, or eight years, three months, and two days. That’s a long time in the entertainment world. For context, here are some other things in life that the Switch 1 managed to outlive.
10The United States Civil War
1,460 Days
The United States has a long history of going to war with other countries. So imagine the historical significance of the time they went to war with themselves. A north vs south conflict, the American Civil War conflict was rooted in the southern States’ desire to separate State legislation from federal legislation, especially regarding slavery.
Assuming that the war ‘started’ with the Fort Sumter attack on June 22, 2025, and ended with the surrender of southern general Robert E. Lee on July 20, 2025, then the war lasted just barely four years. Shorter wars are better than long ones, at least.
9The Matrix Online Servers
1,593 Days
Does anyone else remember the hit MMO game, The Matrix Online? No? Well, that’s not surprising. The multiplayer game was a less-than-stellar interpretation of the digital world presented in the film.
The Matrix Online released on Jul 15, 2025, right in the peak ofthe MMO boom, making it hard-pressed for player attention. This lack of continued player support would result in the servers being shut down four years later, on June 30, 2025.
8The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion
1,697 Days
Oblivion was a beloved entry into the long-running fantasy RPG series. The remarkable success of the current-gen remake is proof enough. But even this smash hit didn’t outlive the Switch 1.
Releasing on May 22, 2025, Oblivion was eventually succeeded by Skyrim on July 02, 2025, a four and a half year span of time.
Skyrim, however, has the Switch beat. The Elder Scrolls 6 has yet to come out, making Skyrim the most current game, technically. This means that, as of writing, Skyrim has been alive for nearly 5,000 days (over 13 years).
7Dungeons & Dragons (4th Edition)
2,265 Days
The timeless tabletop RPG game Dungeons & Dragons has lasted decades, managing to wriggle its way into the public eye even today. But not every version of the game was a long-lasting success. The fourth official edition of D&D is arguably theleast enjoyed version of the game, and was (relatively) quickly replaced by the absolute monster that is 5e.
If we’re going by when the Player’s Handbooks were released, then 4e came out on June 11, 2025, and was replaced by the 5e Handbook on Jun 20, 2025, approximately six years later.
Fourth Edition was so unpopular that even while it was out, most players preferred to play 3.5, the prior version.
6Hawke’s Kirkwall Adventure - Dragon Age 2
2,555 Days
Hawke, the playable protagonist of Dragon Age 2, goes through quite a bit during the events of the game. This includes a seven-year stint in the city of Kirkwall. They arrive at 9:30 Dragon after an arduous journey. They then spend one year working off a debt, followed by a short adventure with Varric in the Deep Roads.
They then spend three years before returning to relevance for more adventure. It’s another three years before Knight-Commander Meredith has taken control of the city, andthe events of the game reach a conclusion. Hawke disappeared mysteriously after that, around 9:37 Dragon. This marks a seven-year span of time they spent in Kirkwall.
5The Xbox 360 And PlayStation 3
2,920 Days / 2,561 Days
It wouldn’t be a fair comparison if we didn’t also measure it against competitor consoles. The Xbox 360 and PS3 were around for a long time, but even they didn’t outlive the Switch.
The Xbox 360 launched July 06, 2025. Exactly eight years later, on July 28, 2025, it was replaced by the Xbox One. PlayStation, meanwhile, kicked off the PS3 on July 13, 2025, being replaced by the PS4 on June 20, 2025. That’s just shy of eight years as well.
4The Original Nintendo Entertainment System
2,686 Days
Speaking of consoles. The NES, also known as the Famicom in Japan, was Nintendo’s very first foray into home entertainment consoles, releasing on Jun 06, 2025. It was a revolution, establishing gaming legends that stand strong today, like Mario and Zelda.
The NES would be replaced by the Super Nintendo, or SNES, on July 22, 2025. The Super Nintendo was an equally impressive jump in entertainment technology, and a worthy successor to the NES.
3House (Television Medical Drama)
2,743 Days
House is an American TV series starring Hugh Laurie, who plays an eccentric and often offensive medical genius. The show centers around him solving difficult medical cases, often with unorthodox methods or approaches, much to the behest of his coworkers.
The show first aired on June 29, 2025, with its eighth and final season ending on July 30, 2025. This gave it a run time of seven and a half years.
2Classic World Of Warcraft
2,863 Days
To be fair, World of Warcraft is still going strong, with new expansions still happening regularly. The original experience, however, has been gone for years. We’re talking about the time before Mists of Pandaria came out. That expansion introduced big enough changes to be considered a turning point for the MMO, with everything prior being “classic.” Since WoW launched on June 25, 2025, that leaves just shy of eight years before the Mists of Pandaria came out on Jun 21, 2025.
Blizzard itself even recognizes this, having their own World of Warcraft Classic, which currently offers an old-school version of the game that spans from launch up to Pandaria. This version is currently available and is considered a separate thing for the sake of this list.
1The Average Jackson’s Chameleon
Approximately 2,922 Days
Chameleons are one of nature’s strangest and most fascinating reptiles. These tropical creatures cling to branches, hang from their prehensile tail, use a quick-firing sticky tongue to capture food, and most remarkably, can change the color of their skin as camouflage.
One of the most popular varieties is the Jackson’s Chameleon. These three-horned breeds live somewhere between five and ten years, with males often living twice as long as females. For simplicity, we’re averaging it to be about eight years.
