Quick snapshot
The Switch 2 remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has landed worldwide, and in the UK it opened strong. Physically, it topped the charts and moved about a third more copies at launch than Breath of the Wild did when it first came out. Still, it couldn’t match the monster debut of Tears of the Kingdom — Ocarina’s launch was less than half of that game’s physical sales.
What the numbers really mean
Saying it sold “33% more than Breath of the Wild at launch” basically means Ocarina had a healthier physical debut than BOTW did on its day-one shelves. But Tears of the Kingdom was on a different level — a blockbuster that turned into the biggest physical Zelda launch in the UK. Even so, the Ocarina remake now sits proudly as the second best-selling Zelda title in UK history and is the biggest physical game launch so far this year.
Why the gap between the games?
Think of it like this: Tears of the Kingdom released when the Switch had a huge audience and huge hype behind it, so its launch figures were gigantic. Breath of the Wild was a launch-day title for the original console, when fewer people owned the system. The Ocarina remake hit within the Switch 2’s early life — good timing for visibility, but the install base is still growing. Nostalgia and the curious crowd buying a beloved remake also helped boost its physical numbers.
Community reactions (aka the internet’s two cents)
Folks in the comments were a mixed bag: some reminisced about storming stores at TOTK launch to snag the last copy, others admitted they sell games after finishing them to make room or buy the next thing. A chunk of people take collector pride seriously and never let go of physical copies. And, yes, there’s always the loud debate: physical forever versus digital convenience — complete with dramatic metaphors from both camps. All very online, all very passionate.
Takeaway
Bottom line: Ocarina’s Switch 2 debut was impressive — especially compared to BOTW’s early physical numbers — but Tears of the Kingdom remains the heavyweight champ of Zelda launches in the UK. If you like boxed copies, this remake proved there’s still demand; if you prefer digital, enjoy your clutter-free shelf. Either way, Zelda still gets people excited, and that’s what matters.
