The Nintendo Switch had a pretty good week in the UK. According to the latest sales data from Gfk Chart-Track for the week ending November 17th, Pokemon Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! debuted in fourth and sixth respectively in the physical retail sales chart. Combined sales for the two would make them the most successful titles of the week, however. Digital sales aren’t factored into the equation, so actual sales will likely be higher.
Along with being a success in its own right, Pokemon Let’s Go helped boost sales for other Switch titles. As per GamesIndustry.biz, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sales were up 94 percent. Super Mario Party and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild saw an increase in sales by 25 percent and 52 percent respectively. Even Just Dance 2019 saw a 465 percent sales leap thanks to the Switch version, though its inclusion in a hardware bundle that also had Pokemon Let’s Go definitely helped.
Launch week physical sales for Pokemon Let’s Go, however, are down 60 percent next to Pokemon Sun and Moon (2016) for the Nintendo 3DS. Compared to Pokemon X and Y, which released in 2013, sales are down 5 percent. There are a fair number of reasons for this, such as stock issues (leading to some pre-orders not being fulfilled) and a smaller install base compared to the 3DS Pokemon titles. It’s worth waiting to see how many more Switch owners react to the games over the next month, especially when the Christmas season is in full swing.
It will also be interesting to see how Pokemon GO players react. The NPD Group recently reported almost 15 percent of the mobile game’s players in the US were interested in purchasing Switch to play Pokemon Let’s Go. Since the latter implements quite a few elements from the mobile title, it could further help mobile players make the transition more easily.