'Pokémon Sword And Shield' Reached A Whopping 6 Million Copies In Sales Globally In One Week

The latest and greatest 'Pokémon' entries are finally here. 'Pokémon Sword and Shield' have landed on Nintendo Switch, and fans of all stripes can't wait to get their hands on them, even despite a kerfuffle over cut Pokémon and other complaints from fans. 

Together, the games have sold over 6 million units globally, with 2 million attributed to Japan alone. This makes the games a bigger success, as such, than 'Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee,' which only managed to sell 3 million in their first week. Comparatively, 'Pokémon X and Y' sold 4 million in the same timeframe. 'Pokémon Sword and Shield' has also managed to surpass 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,' which sold around 5 million units. 

According to The Pokémon Company's official announcement, this is a record-breaking new accomplishment for the Nintendo Switch system as a whole. The new wave of 'Pokémon' games has proven that fans are indeed interested, and are hungrily burning through the games. As analyst Daniel Ahmad noted about the sales, the games are already part of the top 10 best-selling Switch titles across the world. If the titles continue to sell at their current rate, they're projected to sell more copies than both 'Let's Go' games around Q1 2020. 

Pokémon Sword and Shield star three starter Pokémon: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. Photo: The Pokémon Company

However, 'Sword and Shield' still pale in comparison to one of the earlier 'Pokémon' titles that released ahead of these new Switch entries. 'Pokémon Sun and Moon' on Nintendo 3DS sold around 7.2 million in just its first week on sale. It's clear that this new duo of 'Pokémon' titles are set to do big numbers, at least for the foreseeable future if they continue to sell around the same rate. 

'Pokémon Sword and Shield' are the first "core" entries in the 'Pokémon' series, transporting players to a new location called Galar. While there, players can capture several new monsters, use special attacks called Dynamaxing, and compete in knock-down, drag-out gym competitions. There's a lot to do for both new and old fans of the series, which likely has contributed to the sales numbers for these entries. 

Both games are available now as Nintendo Switch exclusives.