The Nintendo Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the UK’s second biggest physical Zelda launch of all time, Chris Dring of The Game Business said on November 8, 2026, citing NielsenIQ data. Its first week of boxed sales came in 35% above Breath of the Wild’s 2017 launch and at roughly half of Tears of the Kingdom’s.
The Details
These are the first-week numbers for physical copies in the UK:
- Chart position: the remake debuted at No. 1 on the week’s UK boxed chart.
- Against Breath of the Wild: 35% bigger, and that comparison counts both the Switch and Wii U versions from 2017.
- Against Tears of the Kingdom: roughly half, which leaves Tears as the only bigger physical Zelda launch in the UK.
- Against everything else this year: “comfortably the biggest physical game launch this year (so far),” Dring wrote, ahead of Resident Evil, Call of Duty, and EA Sports FC.
- Against other older-style Zeldas: Dring called it “easily the fastest-selling ‘old school’ Zelda adventure we’ve ever reported on.”
Dring adds that there are “plenty of install base-related reasons” for both Zelda gaps. Breath of the Wild launched the same day as the original Switch, while Tears of the Kingdom arrived six years into that console’s life. The remake sits between those two points, a little under a year and a half after Switch 2 launched.
These figures cover boxed copies only. Digital sales are not counted, so this is not a sales total, and Dring’s note gives percentages rather than unit numbers.
What This Means for Players
The takeaway is simple: a remake of a 1998 game has the biggest physical launch of the year in the UK so far, on a console far younger than the one Tears of the Kingdom launched on.
If you still plan to buy a boxed copy, our game-key card guide explains what is actually on the card, and our price and editions guide compares the physical and digital versions. Our list of what changed covers how far the remake moves from the original, and our review gives our verdict. Every guide for the original and the remake is on our Zelda hub.
When and Where
- Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 only, out since November 5, 2026.
- Price: $69.99 physical and $59.99 digital on Nintendo’s US store.
Source: Chris Dring, The Game Business, note posted November 8, 2026, citing NielsenIQ data.