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Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sold 20 million units since release

The latest entry in the Pokemon series has burst into the Top Selling Titles for the Nintendo Switch and is approaching Sword and Shield sales.

Sam Chandler

February 7, 2023 12:15 AM

Nintendo

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Pokemon titles sell like hotcakes. After the success of Arceus as well as Sword and Shield before it, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have managed to sell over 20 million copies between launch and December 31. This marks the games as the fastest start of any title for a Nintendo console.

On February 7, 2023, Nintendo (NTDOY) released its earnings reports on its Investor Relations page. In these reports, Nintendo highlighted the sales figures of Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet which managed to sell 20.61 million units since their release on November 18, 2022.

Though critical response was lukewarm, with Shacknews’ own Donovan Erskine praising the game’s ideas while lamenting performance woes, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet has entered Nintendo’ million-seller club. In the report, Nintendo notes that Scarlet and Violet “got off to the fastest start of any title for a Nintendo dedicated video game platform.”

Impressive figures for Nintendo’s first-party software don’t end there. The company has noted that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a game from 2017, has surpassed 52 million units in sales. This is still the best-performing title on the Nintendo Switch, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons nipping closely at its heels with 41.59 million units sold.

Interestingly, Nintendo’s digital software sales continue to grow, with the portion of digital sales reaching 46 percent for the first three quarters of FY2023. This is an increase of 5.8 points compared to the same time the previous fiscal year (FY22/Q1-Q3). It would appear that more players are opting to purchase their games digitally, including Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.

Nintendo had more to say about its software and hardware in its report, so check out the Shacknews NTDOY page for more information.

Sam Chandler

Head of Guides

Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler