Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake Sells 5.2m in Four Days
The Zelda Ocarina of Time remake sold 5.2 million copies worldwide within its first four days on sale, according to figures released by Nintendo. The Express Tribune reported that the achievement makes it the fastest-selling Nintendo-published game globally for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo’s remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time reached the mark soon after its Switch 2 release. Fans have been quick to compare the result with other big launches, and the early numbers put the remake at the top of the console’s sales chart.
The original Ocarina of Time came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1998, and it is still named by many players as one of the best games ever made. A remake built for modern hardware was always likely to sell well.
Zelda Ocarina of Time remake: record Switch 2 sales
The sales figures come from Nintendo itself, so they carry the company’s authority. They count copies sold to players around the world, not copies shipped to shops. That makes the four-day total a genuine measure of demand.
The remake is now the fastest-selling Nintendo-published Switch 2 game in its first four days, and the second-best-selling Switch 2 game overall, behind Mario Kart World. That is a notable result for a remake of a game that is nearly 30 years old, and it shows how much appetite there is for Nintendo’s older catalogue when it is rebuilt for new hardware.
GTA 6 is also coming to current consoles, with downloads already open, and GTA 6 is expected to run at 30 frames per second on the PS5 Pro. Big releases are lining up across the industry, but Zelda’s opening has set a high bar.
What the sales figures mean
The sales performance has prompted discussion among fans about the remake’s development costs, staffing and production timeline. Estimates circulating online have suggested that the game cost between $40 million and $50 million to develop, involved about 200 staff members and took three years to complete.
Those figures are only estimates, and they should be read with care. They come from online discussion, not from Nintendo. Even so, they give a sense of the scale of the project, and they help to explain why the sales result matters so much.
With 5.2 million copies sold in four days, the remake has reportedly already recovered its estimated development costs and generated a profit. That claim also rests on the online estimates, so it is best treated as an early reading rather than a confirmed fact.
One point is more solid. As a first-party Nintendo release, the company avoids the extra 30 per cent revenue share that usually goes with third-party platform publishing. That means Nintendo keeps more of each sale, which makes a fast start even more valuable.
A small team, a long credits list
The game’s credits list more than 1,000 people, which has raised questions about the staffing estimate. The figure of about 200 people could refer to the core development team, while the wider credits include hundreds of additional contributors.
The credits also acknowledge around 30 external companies, including Monolith Soft and Bandai Namco. Monolith previously contributed to the open-world design of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Bandai Namco is known for providing art work for major Japanese game productions.
That pattern is normal for a large modern game. A core team leads the design, while outside studios handle art, sound, testing and other work.
Sony’s next console is also in the news, with a possible price and delay to 2028, while a browser version of Cricket 07 with online multiplayer has found an audience. The games market is busy, and Zelda’s opening shows that remakes can compete with brand new releases.
Frequently asked questions
How many copies did the Zelda Ocarina of Time remake sell?
Nintendo said the remake sold 5.2 million copies worldwide within its first four days on sale.
Which console is the remake for?
The remake was released for the Nintendo Switch 2, and it is the highest-selling game globally for that console.
How much did the remake cost to make?
Estimates circulating online suggest it cost between $40 million and $50 million to develop, with about 200 core staff and a three-year production timeline. These figures are not confirmed by Nintendo.
Why do the credits list more than 1,000 people?
The core team was much smaller, but the credits include hundreds of additional contributors and around 30 external companies, including Monolith Soft and Bandai Namco.
Has the remake already made a profit?
Reports based on the online cost estimates say it has already recovered its estimated development costs and generated a profit, but that reading depends on unconfirmed figures.
