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Nintendo's remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sold more than 5.2 million units worldwide in the first four days after its November 5 launch, the company said. That is the highest four-day global total for any Nintendo-published Switch 2 game, and 810,000 of those units sold in Japan. The remake is Nintendo's big Switch 2 game for the holidays.
The original came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1998.
What Changed
- Nintendo says The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2 sold more than 5.2 million units worldwide in its first four days after the November 5 launch.
- That is the highest four-day global total for any Nintendo-published Switch 2 game; 810,000 of the units sold in Japan.
- The count is Nintendo's own and includes both physical and digital versions.
- Some users complained that the remake changes too little or was made easier.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
What Nintendo counted
Nintendo calls the new version a full remake, developed for Switch 2 with reimagined visuals and enhanced playability while preserving the experience of the original game. Link travels between two time periods, as Young Link and Adult Link, using different abilities and items in each.
The 5.2 million figure is Nintendo's own count, and it includes both physical and digital versions. The record covers the highest global sales in the first four days among Switch 2 games that Nintendo itself published.
Against earlier Switch 2 releases
Wccftech's comparison puts Mario Kart World at around 3.5 million units as a launch title. It puts Pokémon Pokopia at 2.20 million units and Donkey Kong Bananza at 1.5 million. IGN wrote that Zelda is selling faster than all three.
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The Mario Kart World figure comes with a caveat. Nintendo sold 3.5 million Switch 2 consoles over the console's first four days, IGN noted, and roughly 80% of those consoles were sold in a bundle with Mario Kart World, at least in the U.S.
The remake also arrived to a bigger audience. The same comparison granted that Ocarina of Time could draw on a much larger installed base of Switch 2 consoles. It counted 26.35 million hardware units capable of running the game. On that count, almost 20% of all Switch 2 owners have already bought it.
Critics and holdouts
The remake has an average Metacritic score of 96.
Some reviews still carried complaints. RPG Site wrote that "some decisions and directions in this remake may keep me from reaching for it again anytime soon." The Games Machine said the game no longer deserves the title of best Zelda ever and handed that honor to the two most recent entries.
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A user named HylianChrist wrote that "this remake just play it too safe and doesn't dare to change or add anything new."
The rest of the season
IGN counted the remake among the few titles braving a November release, weeks from the arrival of Grand Theft Auto 6. Wccftech wrote that the game has no chance of being the best-selling game of 2026, since it is only available on one platform, and that Grand Theft Auto VI will secure that title.
Wccftech's reviewer, Nathan Birch, scored the remake 9.5. "This is the new high-water mark for video game remakes," he wrote.
The franchise has more coming. The first live-action Zelda film is set to debut on April 30, 2027. HylianChrist's review ended on the next remake instead. "I hope the rumored Majora's Mask remake actually adds some more quality content to justify another remake," HylianChrist wrote.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many copies has the Ocarina of Time remake sold?
Nintendo says the Switch 2 remake sold more than 5.2 million units worldwide in the first four days after its November 5 launch, including 810,000 units in Japan. The figure includes both physical and digital versions.
What record did it set?
Nintendo says it is the highest global sales total in the first four days for any Nintendo-published Switch 2 game.
How does it compare with Mario Kart World?
Wccftech put Mario Kart World at around 3.5 million units as a launch title. IGN noted that Nintendo sold 3.5 million Switch 2 consoles over the console's first four days, roughly 80% of them in a bundle with Mario Kart World, at least in the U.S.
Is the remake a new game?
Nintendo calls it a full remake of the 1998 Nintendo 64 original, developed for Switch 2 with reimagined visuals and enhanced playability while preserving the experience of the original game.
What did critics think?
Some users complained that the remake changes too little or was made easier.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
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Marcus Schuler
Editor-in-Chief and founder of Implicator.ai. Former ARD correspondent and senior broadcast journalist with 10+ years covering tech. Writes daily briefings on policy and market developments. Based in San Francisco. E-mail: editor@implicator.ai
