Ocarina of Time remake sells 5.2 million in four days, a Switch 2 record
Japan accounts for 810,000 of the sales, which include digital copies. Nintendo calls it the best start for any Switch 2 game it has published itself so far.
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The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake sold more than 5.2 million units worldwide in its first four days on Switch 2. Nintendo announced the figure in a press release on November 11, 2026, and says it is the best four-day global start for any Nintendo-published Switch 2 game.
The total counts physical and digital copies and includes 810,000 units sold in Japan. The remake launched worldwide on November 5, so the record was set before the end of its first week.
What's confirmed
The numbers. Nintendo says the remake sold over 5.2 million units in the four days after its November 5 launch, with 810,000 of those in Japan. Its footnote confirms the figure covers both boxed and digital sales.
What the record covers. The claim is limited to games Nintendo publishes itself on Switch 2. Eurogamer notes that, because Nintendo's own titles are the console's biggest sellers, it is very likely the fastest-selling Switch 2 game overall, but Nintendo's release does not say that directly.
What the game is. Nintendo describes it as a full remake of the 1998 Nintendo 64 original, with reimagined visuals and improved playability that keep the original structure: Link moves between his child and adult selves, and each period has different items and abilities.
Zelda Notes. The remake supports Zelda Notes, a feature inside the Nintendo Switch App for phones. Nintendo says it needs only a free Nintendo Account, not a paid Switch Online membership.
Early regional signs. Notebookcheck, citing Christopher Dring and NielsenIQ data, reports that UK physical launch sales were 35% higher than Breath of the Wild's and about half of Tears of the Kingdom's first week. Eurogamer says the launch also lifted Switch 2 hardware sales in the US, and its own review gave the remake five stars.
Background
Ocarina of Time first came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1998 and set the template for 3D Zelda: lock-on targeting, context-sensitive buttons and a world split across time. It was ported to the GameCube and remade once before as Ocarina of Time 3D on the 3DS in 2011, which kept the original's structure and mostly refreshed the visuals.
The new version is a bigger rebuild aimed at Switch 2 owners, and it arrived in a crowded month. GTA 6 launches on November 19, and Eurogamer jokes that the decision not to dodge that date clearly did not hurt. For scale, Nintendo said in 2023 that Tears of the Kingdom sold more than 10 million copies in its first three days across Switch, so the remake has not reached the very top of the series. It has outsold every other Nintendo-published Switch 2 game in the same window.
My take: what it means for players
I'm not surprised, and I'm a little relieved. Ocarina of Time is the game a lot of us measure every other 3D Zelda against, and a remake could easily have been a lazy repaint. Nintendo's own pitch, reimagined visuals with the structure untouched, is the right balance: the Water Temple is supposed to be the Water Temple, just less painful to navigate.
The comparison that matters is with the 3DS remake in 2011. That version was loved but it lived on a handheld that was struggling at launch, and it never had this kind of opening week. Putting the game on a console that people already own, at the start of the holiday season, changed the result.
What I'd watch next is what Nintendo learns from it. A record start for a 1998 game will make every executive ask which remake comes next, and Majora's Mask is the obvious name on that list, since it reused Ocarina's engine in 2000. I'd love that, but I hope the lesson is "remake with care" rather than "remake everything". The Switch 2 also needs new Zelda stories, not just better versions of old ones.
What we don't know yet
- Overall Switch 2 record. Nintendo only compared against its own published games, so the all-publisher ranking is not confirmed.
- Digital versus physical split. Nintendo did not break the 5.2 million down by format.
- Regional numbers beyond Japan. No official figures were given for the US, Europe or Southeast Asia.
- Future remakes. Nintendo has not announced any other Zelda remake for Switch 2.
Quick facts
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Game | The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Switch 2 remake) |
| Launch | November 5, 2026, worldwide |
| First four days | More than 5.2 million units (physical and digital) |
| Japan | 810,000 units |
| Record | Best four-day start for a Nintendo-published Switch 2 game |
| Announced | Nintendo press release, November 11, 2026 |
FAQ
How many copies has the Ocarina of Time remake sold?
More than 5.2 million worldwide in its first four days, Nintendo said on November 11, 2026. That includes 810,000 in Japan.
Is it the fastest-selling Switch 2 game?
It is the fastest-selling Nintendo-published Switch 2 game over four days. Nintendo did not compare it with games from other publishers.
Does the 5.2 million include digital sales?
Yes. Nintendo's release says the figure includes both physical and digital versions.
Do I need Nintendo Switch Online for Zelda Notes?
No. Zelda Notes needs a free Nintendo Account and the Nintendo Switch App, but not a paid Switch Online membership.
More: Ocarina of Time remake brings back Navi's original voice actor.
Sources: Nintendo (press release, November 11, 2026); Eurogamer; Notebookcheck. Image: Eurogamer feed image.
