Zelda's Ocarina remake just gave Switch 2 its biggest week of 2026, and it's got me thinking about launch windows

So Circana's Mat Piscatella put out numbers showing the Switch 2 had its best sales week of 2026 so far, measured in dollar sales, and the whole thing is down to that 40th Anniversary Edition console that dropped October 29 alongside the Ocarina of Time remake. The reporting week ended October 31, so basically the console did the work in a couple of days.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, the thing is covered in geometric Zelda patterns with a big Triforce on the dock and green and gold Joy-Cons. It's $520 and it doesn't even come with the game. The remake itself launched November 5 at $60 digital, $70 physical. GameSpot gave it a 9/10 and it's currently sitting as the highest rated game of 2026.

the hardware bump is the interesting bit

Total US hardware spending for that week jumped 81% compared to the same week last year. One themed console did that. Not a price cut, not a bundle with a pack-in game, just a nice looking box with a Triforce on it.

Nintendo hasn't put out actual sales figures for the remake yet, which is its usual move, so we're working off Circana's dollar tracking and vibes.

why I'm even posting this here

Two reasons. First, it's a reminder that a big exclusive plus a good looking console can move serious units in a single week, even at $520. Second, it's a nice little data point for the GTA 6 review crown argument. Ocarina's holding the top spot right now, and there's already chatter about whether November 19 changes that. I'm not going to pretend a Rockstar game and a Zelda remake are competing for the same audience, but the timing overlap is funny.

Also, 81% hardware spending jump in one week off one special edition. If Sony or Microsoft had anything similar planned around the 19th, we'd probably know by now. We don't, which tells you something about how much they think they need to do.

Anyway. Anyone here picking up the Zelda remake while waiting out the last few days, or are you all saving the money for the Ultimate Edition?

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Source: GameSpot · Curated content.