The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake has recorded the second-biggest launch in Zelda history in the UK, according to Christopher Dring of The Game Business. The Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive has also become the country’s biggest physical game launch of 2026 so far, based on Nielsen IQ sales data.
Dring revealed that the remake’s opening week was 35% bigger than The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which launched on Nintendo Switch and Wii U in March 2017. However, it managed roughly half the first-week physical sales of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Dring pointed out that there are “plenty of install base-related reasons” behind these differences, particularly with the Nintendo Switch 2 still relatively early in its lifecycle.
The Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake is also the fastest-selling “old school” Zelda adventure Dring has covered. Its opening physical sales were enough to put it ahead of major 2026 releases from Resident Evil, Call of Duty, and EA Sports FC, making it the UK’s biggest boxed game launch of the year to date.
Nintendo released the remake on November 5, 2026, following its official announcement during the September 2026 Nintendo Direct. Developed specifically for Switch 2, the game rebuilds the Nintendo 64 classic with high-definition graphics, a fully free-moving camera, quality-of-life improvements, and a remastered soundtrack. The original story and dungeon layouts remain intact.
For comparison, Breath of the Wild also performed strongly at UK retail when it launched in 2017, debuting at No. 2 on the physical sales chart behind Horizon Zero Dawn.
The Nielsen IQ figures cover physical copies only and do not include digital downloads. With digital purchases accounting for a significant portion of Nintendo’s business, the remake’s total first-week sales are likely higher than the physical figures suggest.
