Nintendo Switch games Pokémon Scarlet and Violet now rank among the series’ best-selling games of all time, despite fan complaints over technical issues, bugs and lack of visual polish.
Scarlet and Violet have now sold a combined 26.79m copies, meaning the games have now sold more than any other Pokémon launch since the original Pokémon Red/Green/Blue on Game Boy.
That’s according to fresh sales data from Nintendo, which shows the games have recently overtaken fellow Switch titles Sword and Shield.
Nine generations of Pokémon games later, the franchise’s Switch era has been its best-selling since its origins. But it has also been marked by a backlash from fans due to a perceived drop in technical quality – even compared to other recent Pokémon games such as Legends: Arceus.
Upon their launch back in November 2022, Digital Foundry dubbed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as “comprehensive technical failures” with “embarrassing artwork, terrible draw distance, poor performance and a litany of bugs”.
Our critical opinion of the game was also marred by its performance. “An interesting reworking of the traditional Pokémon gameplay for an open-world setting, brought low by its lifeless environments and graphics,” our Lottie wrote in Eurogamer’s Pokémon Scarlet and Violet review.
Nintendo even issued a rare statement commenting on the state of the games, apologising for the “inconvenience” and stating that it took “feedback from players seriously” and would work on improvements.
Despite the criticism, Scarlet and Violet launched to record-breaking sales. The games sold 10m copies in their first three days of release, smashing the series’ previous launch records.
Next up for Pokémon will be cross-generational spin-off Pokémon Legends: ZA, which is set to arrive for Switch 1 and Switch 2 later in 2025. This notably sees gameplay centre on one single city environment, and will undoubtedly benefit on Switch 2 from the added power of Nintendo’s new console.
Looking further ahead, Pokémon is set to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year, in 2026. Fans expect this milestone to coincide with the franchise’s 10th generation – with games potentially only for Switch 2.
Earlier today, Nintendo said it expects Switch 2 to outsell its predecessor at launch, despite pressures over stock, and shift 15m consoles this financial year.
