The Pokémon Company has announced that Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the latest installment in the Pokémon series, has moved 5.8 million units in its first week on sale. Available on both Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, around roughly half of the first week sales come from Nintendo’s next-generation platform (Nintendo did not specify exact distribution of sales). That’s impressive for a console that isn’t even a year old yet, not to mention a game that isn’t exclusive to said console.
Over in Europe, Legends: Z-A managed to hit number one on the weekend sales charts, but it came in with a more muted reception than expected. According to The Game Business, European Legends: Z-A sales are the lowest for a mainline Pokémon game since 2018, which saw the release of Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee. Pokémon Legends: Z-A did manage to dethrone Battlefield 6 for the weekend, but it moved around 28% fewer units than Legends: Arceus did in 2022. The Game Business also confirms that Switch 2 sales were stronger for the game, which adds up with what Nintendo said.
It’s key to remember that Nintendo does not divulge digital sales statistics, so Legends: Z-A could be doing significantly better than we can track. I’m not sure if the Switch 2 bundle with the game would be counted as a physical purchase, but in Europe at least, that bundle seems to have resulted in a 15% increase in sales of Mario Kart World. Nintendo is likely very pleased with that outcome.
As the only major Pokémon game available this year, Legends: Z-A is bound to blow up around the holiday season. Nintendo was smart to release it on both platforms as it broadens the reach the game will have. Clearly, the Switch 2 version is the superior option, but the game is no slouch on the original Switch.
Check out more Pokémon news
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
