The remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 recorded the second-biggest launch in the franchise’s history in the United Kingdom based on physical sales. According to Nielsen IQ data reported by Christopher Dring of The Game Business, the opening week was 35% larger than Breath of the Wild’s 2017 debut.
What happened?
Released on November 5, 2026, exclusively on Switch 2, the remake outperformed major 2026 launches such as Resident Evil, Call of Duty, and EA Sports FC in physical copies in the UK. It became the country’s biggest boxed game launch of the year to date. However, it managed roughly half the first-week physical sales of Tears of the Kingdom.
Dring noted that install-base factors help explain the differences, as Switch 2 is still early in its lifecycle while the original Switch had tens of millions of units sold by the time of Tears of the Kingdom.
Why does this matter?
The result underscores the lasting appeal of Ocarina of Time, widely regarded as one of the greatest games ever made. Even as a remake of a 1998 title, it leads UK physical sales for the year and ranks as the second-biggest Zelda launch there. The figures cover physical copies only; digital sales, which make up the majority of Nintendo’s business, are expected to push the total significantly higher.
The game was announced during the September 2026 Nintendo Direct and features high-definition graphics, a free-moving camera, quality-of-life improvements, and a remastered soundtrack while preserving the original dungeon layout and story.
What changes in practice?
For fans, the commercial success validates Nintendo’s bet on classic remakes for Switch 2. Full official figures have not yet been released by the company, but the early performance indicates strong demand. Further comparisons with Japan and other markets should arrive in the coming weeks via Famitsu and official reports.
Image credit: Nintendo | Source: Twisted Voxel / The Game Business
By Grok
