Yes sure but it is nevertheless a milestone you don't want to miss if it's relatively easy to achieve. "Switch 2, the successor to the best selling console ever!" It's still something that has it's effect.

I don't believe that Nintendo doesn't care about passing the PS2.

They absolutely do.

I'm sure they're not going to actively focus or push for it and they're just sticking to their plan for Switch 2. And if it doesn't happen, oh well, it doesn't happen. But it's in the back of their minds. And it's something they think about and want to see happen. Especially for some of the OGs like Miyamoto and Tezuka who have been there since the NES days and experienced the ups and downs and all arounds (Jun Senoue guitar riff).

It's a pride thing. Even though we do our best to not show it, they're like buttholes - Everyone has it.

Switch will be 165 million next year !

around March - May

Exactly. You just do not cut off your sucessfull predecessor' 150 million+ base especially when you are less than 10 million away from this 159 million PS2! I would absolutley do it if i was in charge and i can't see less than 157 million LTD (4 milliln this year and 1 million next)! And thats even cutting it short. Nintendo does care for sure but they are not saying it loud to not provoke any PS teenies😉 or some lying Sony people who will then find some million PS2 systems in their toilet!😘

It's a bit ambiguous, theres the chance Nintendo to focus on. Ns2 as others pointed out, but it would be unexpectedly abrupt to cut the legs of such an evergreen console.

Especially given past history of 3ds and other consoles. Only wiiu was dropped super fast... 
I suppose Nintendo would like to promote the successor as the follow up of the best selling console ever etc.
Effortless mass marketing.

Ns lite could be the key to, keep it for emerging markets. 

Ps2 sold its last 5 in Brazil and such markets. 

Ps. Let's admit that we yearning for that to happen. 

Why is this even a debate still.
Its 100% switch is going to pass the 160mill mark.

I'm sure some employees may care about it in the back of their mind because who doesn't like to be #1 and break a record, it's human nature for us to be competitive and want to win at something which is why sports are huge all over the world.

However, what's more important to these employees is money over record breaking, Many of these employees want promotions & job security first and foremost, like you said they definitely won't risk those factors just to beat a record with no financial gain. I'm sure some would like to see the record broken, but only if it's a byproduct of their main bottom line which is money.

In terms of using the #1 title as a marketing point like some have stated in the thread, from what I remember Nintendo isn't heavily known to market sales record often and mainly only does it for investors.

Reggie I remember sometimes in interviews would brag about Nintendo winning the gen with the Wii, but Reggie was more of a PR talkative type COO and I doubt Doug Bowser would be as loud about it.

I remember in 2018 tho Nintendo randomly made an article on their public website and a tweet saying the the Switch was the fastest selling console in U.S history, so that's another instance of marketing they used.

So maybe Nintendo may put out a tweet or something like that to acknowledge it, but even I doubt that cause Nintendo doesn't like to compare to other companies much, I feel like cause they don't want to be in the game where they're now expected to outsell every other console every gen to be successful to investors, which shouldn't be true.

We haven't seen Nintendo even acknowledge beating the DS's or PS2's record at all yet even as it's getting close. They just don't wanna give investors the impression that they need to beat those consoles to be successful.

Remembering that is the actual name of Nintendo's president always makes me chuckle.

Switch will be around 154 million in early March
157 million in fall
160 million in January

Nintendo will not publicly state that beating PS2 is a goal, because if for some reason they don't it would mean to lose face. That's a thing in Japanese culture.