Pokémon Scarlet & Violet had the worst launch in the series; in fact, Nintendo acknowledged the bugs and Game Freak is still working on improving the experience. However, this did not stop these games from having the best sales rate in the history of the series and they have just broken an impressive record.
It was known that Pokémon Scalet & Violet were destined to become the best selling Pokémon around the world and it was a matter of time before they started breaking records.
The most recent is a feat that the games achieved in Japanese lands. The latest sales report in that country reveals that they were the kings of sales at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023, for which they have now gone 8 consecutive weeks without losing the crown.
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Pokémon Scarlet & Violet already surpassed Pokémon Sword & Shield
However, the most interesting thing is that in this period they have already sold more copies in physical format than Pokémon Sword & Shield has sold since its Japanese premiere, in November 2019, that’s how it is in just 8 weeks!, according to Game Data Library records. Precisely, according to figures from Famitsu (via Gematsu) Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have already sold 4,630,253 units in Japan.
Total retail sales Pokémon Scarlet / Violet in Japan have surpassed those of Pokémon Sword / Shield, that’s 8 weeks vs 3 years.
Including digital sales are of at least 6m, but I’d bet they’re closer and maybe even over 7m. pic.twitter.com/d9HXq5xu9L
— Game Data Library (@GameDataLibrary) January 12, 2023
Obviously, we must take into account that Pokémon Scarlet & Violet also debuted when the Nintendo Switch had already been on the market for more than 5.5 years, so the installed user base is huge (28 million) compared to 2019 (10 million). ). However, it remains to be seen if the new Pokémon installments manage to surpass the sales rate of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which was an unprecedented phenomenon during the pandemic in 2020.
In case you missed it: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet in a few weeks displaced Splatoon 3 as the best-selling game in 2022.
Here’s another comparison with some of the fastest selling games in Japan.
8 weeks in S/V is ahead of Pokémon Black / White, Animal Crossing: New Horizons & Pokémon Gold / Silver. pic.twitter.com/puUaHaVYRb
— Game Data Library (@GameDataLibrary) January 12, 2023
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet could lose their streak soon
We remind you that the record for consecutive weeks in first place without losing it for a single week is held by Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which stayed on top for 13 weeks before falling to The Last of Us: Part II in 2020. The phenomenon Momotaro Dentetsu : Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! is in second place having reached 12 consecutive weeks, after losing his streak to Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury in 2021.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet could break this record in the coming weeks, but it is not easy, because, although its sales are still strong, let’s take into account that Fire Emblem Engage will go on sale on January 20, a series that is very popular in Japan and, even if it is a kind of spin-off, a new title of this caliber can outsell one that debuted 8 weeks ago.
Below we leave you with the sales of hardware and software in physical format from January 2 to 8, 2023.
software sales
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet — 291,322
Splatoon 3 — 107,700
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — 68,772
Nintendo Switch Sports — 66,720
Dragon Quest Treasures — 48,297
Gran Turismo 7 — 38,892
Minecraft — 37,443
Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa, Heisei, Reiwa mo Teiban! — 34,770
Mario Party Superstars — 30,341
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate — 27,550
hardware sales
Nintendo Switch OLED — 142,789
PlayStation 5 — 75,296
Nintendo Switch — 58,941
Nintendo Switch Lite — 48,988
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition — 9860
PlayStation 4 — 4128
Xbox Series S — 1539
New Nintendo 2DS LL — 419
Xbox Series X — 200
What do you think of the incredible performance of Pokémon Scarlet & Violet? Do you think they will withstand the onslaught of Fire Emblem Engage? Tell us in the comments.
Pokémon Scarlet & Violet are available exclusively for Nintendo Switch. You can find more about them if you visit their file or if you consult our written review.
Related video: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet: a victory that tastes like defeat
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