Now in its seventh year, Nintendo's hugely successful console/handheld gaming hybrid the Switch is beginning to lag in sales.
During its latest earnings call on May 9, the Japanese gaming giant reported a 22% fall in year-on-year Switch sales, suggesting demand for the gaming system had finally peaked following an impressive run.
It must come as music to Nintendo’s ears, then, to hear of the resounding success of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the follow-up to 2017’s Breath of the Wild.
Critical acclaim aside, of which there was plenty, global sales point to the best opening week in the 35-year-old franchise's history,
Over 10 million units were sold globally in the first three days alone, with four million in the Americas.
In the UK, Tears of the Kingdom is by far the biggest title of 2023 so far, beating Harry Potter title Hogwarts Legacy by 50%.
According to Quartz, the Legend of Zelda series has sold over 130 million units in its lifetimes, with Breath of the Wild currently in the top spot with 30 million copies.
At this rate, there is a chance that its sequel could take the lead.
The most successful video game in 2022 was Elden Ring, the fantasy title developed by FromSoftware and co-written by George R. R. Martin, with over 20 million copies sold.
Tears of the Kingdom is likely to surpass this number.
Adding to Tears of the Kingdom’s impressive result is the fact that, as a first-party Nintendo title, it is only available on one platform.
In contrast, Elden Ring's addressable market comprises Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC gamers.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom currently has a 97% review score on Metacritic.