Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 drove 2026’s best U.S. dollar-sales week for the hardware

# Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 drove 2026’s best U.S. dollar-sales week for the hardware

Circana data reported on November 9, 2026, shows the Nintendo Switch 2 had its highest U.S. hardware dollar-sales week of 2026 in the week ending October 31, driven by The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition console that launched October 29. The same data, cited by GameSpot and VGChartz, shows overall U.S. video game hardware spending for that week was 81% higher than in the same week of 2025.

## What Circana’s Mat Piscatella reported

VGChartz’s William D’Angelo, writing November 9, quoted Circana senior director and video game industry advisor Mat Piscatella as saying: “The Legend of Zelda: 40th Anniversary Edition console helped drive total US Switch 2 hardware dollar sales to its highest weekly total of 2026 to date (w/e Oct 31, 2026).”

Piscatella also said, according to the same report, “Total US video game hardware spending jumped 81% in the week compared to a year ago.” GameSpot’s Eddie Makuch, in a November 9 article, likewise reported that sales of the anniversary console “helped lift total spending on hardware in the US for the week by 81% compared to the same week in 2025,” and that the Circana reporting period ended October 31 after the $520 console launched on October 29.

Those figures are dollar sales, not a published unit count. Neither GameSpot nor VGChartz provided a Circana number for how many Switch 2 consoles were sold that week, and Nintendo did not, in this coverage, publish its own weekly hardware total.

## A record in dollars is not automatically a record in units

That distinction is important. The headline figure is the highest Switch 2 hardware dollar-sales week of 2026 in the United States, not an officially stated record for units sold. VGChartz noted that a dollar-sales high does not by itself prove it was the best week in unit terms, and it pointed to the anniversary model’s $520 price. This article follows Circana’s wording and does not convert the report into a unit-sales ranking.

GameSpot described the special edition as having a geometric Zelda-inspired design, a large Triforce symbol on the dock, and green-and-gold Joy-Con. The system does not include a copy of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time’s remake. That game launched later, on November 5, and GameSpot listed it at $60 digitally and $70 on a physical cartridge. Nintendo had not revealed sales figures for the remake in that November 9 report.

## FAQ

**What exactly was a 2026 high?** U.S. Switch 2 hardware dollar sales for the week ending October 31, 2026, according to Circana figures cited by GameSpot and VGChartz.

**Did the console bundle include the Ocarina of Time remake?** No. GameSpot reported that the special-edition system does not include the game, which launched on November 5.

**How many consoles were sold that week?** Circana’s published comments, as quoted in these reports, do not include a unit total. Only the dollar-sales ranking and the 81% rise in U.S. hardware spending were given.

## Image credits

- Main thumbnail: The Nintendo Switch 2 – The Legend of Zelda – 40th Anniversary Edition console and dock. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/260908_2.html (file: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/img_260908_2/photo_1.jpg). Basis: Official product photo from Nintendo's September 8, 2026 news release. - Medium thumbnail: Official The Legend of Zelda 40th anniversary banner. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/article/3Uvp2H1iPLLLSnR4MJgmq1 (file: https://images.ctfassets.net/pkeegl0voupm/1GpE5paGnG3fYukJob86Mh/192003083fc33895a53306d84bf1c16c/Zelda40th_bnr.jpg). Basis: Official banner from Nintendo's Zelda 40th anniversary news article. - Small thumbnail: The Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/260908_2.html (file: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/img_260908_2/photo_2.jpg). Basis: Official product photo from Nintendo's September 8, 2026 news release. - Article image 1: The Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition Nintendo Switch 2 carrying case. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/260908_2.html (file: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2026/img_260908_2/photo_3.jpg). Basis: Official product photo from Nintendo's September 8, 2026 news release. - Article image 2: Retail box for the Nintendo Switch 2 – The Legend of Zelda – 40th Anniversary Edition. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/article/3Uvp2H1iPLLLSnR4MJgmq1 (file: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/assets/article/3Uvp2H1iPLLLSnR4MJgmq1/Zelda40th_02.jpg). Basis: Official product image from Nintendo's Zelda 40th anniversary news article. - Article image 3: Official key art for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on Nintendo Switch 2. Image: Nintendo. Source: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/article/3Uvp2H1iPLLLSnR4MJgmq1 (file: https://www.nintendo.com/sg/news/assets/article/3Uvp2H1iPLLLSnR4MJgmq1/Zelda40th_01.jpg). Basis: Official artwork from Nintendo's Zelda 40th anniversary news article.