Circana says the Zelda 40th Anniversary console drove Switch 2's best U.S. sales week of 2026. Prices, what's included and what is unknown.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming off its best U.S. sales week of the year. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said the Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition console pushed Switch 2 hardware dollar sales to their highest weekly total of 2026, in the week that ended Oct. 31. Total U.S. video game hardware spending rose 81% compared with the same week in 2025.
That is a big headline, but it covers only one console and one week. Here is what the number does and does not tell you, and what to do if you want the Zelda hardware or the game that launched five days later.
What did Circana say about Switch 2 sales?
Piscatella posted on Bluesky on Nov. 9 that the 40th Anniversary Edition "helped drive total US Switch 2 hardware dollar sales to its highest weekly total of 2026 to date." He cited Circana's Retail Tracking Service and measured the week ending Oct. 31. According to GameSpot, which reported the data, the console launched on Oct. 29 and costs $520.
The figure is in dollars, not units. A $520 special edition lifts a dollar total faster than a cheaper bundle would, so "best week" does not automatically mean "most consoles." Circana did not publish unit counts in the post we read.
GamingBolt, in its own write-up, added a caution. It said the 81% jump does not necessarily include only the Zelda console, and that the approaching launch of Grand Theft Auto VI may also be pushing people toward new hardware. That is the outlet's reading, not Circana's.
Does the Zelda console include Ocarina of Time?
No. GameSpot and GamingBolt both say the 40th Anniversary Edition, priced at $519.99, is hardware only. It comes with a black-and-gold dock carrying a Triforce symbol and green-and-gold Joy-Con 2 controllers, but the game is a separate purchase.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launched on Nov. 5 for Switch 2 only. GameSpot lists it at $60 digitally and $70 on a physical cartridge. Nintendo's own U.S. store page shows the digital version at $59.99 and lists a 24.9 GB download. It also carries an early-purchase bonus: buy the digital version before 11:59 p.m. PT on Nov. 23, 2026, and you can get a Zelda 40th Anniversary digital wallpaper.
Critics have been kind to it. GameSpot gave the remake 9 out of 10, and GamingBolt reports a Metascore of 96, the highest of any 2026 game so far. Those scores belong to the outlets that gave them, not to Savvy VibeZ.
Can you still buy the Zelda Switch 2 console?
That is the awkward part. The Daily Game News reports that retailers sold out of the special edition almost immediately and that scalpers have been listing it. We could not confirm a restock date, and Nintendo has not announced one in anything we read.
If you want one, the practical steps are plain:
- Check Nintendo's U.S. store and big retailers' product pages for restock notices rather than paying a reseller's markup.
- Remember the $519.99 list price covers the console only, so budget another $60 to $70 for the game.
- If you only want to play Ocarina of Time, a standard Switch 2 works. The special edition changes the look, not the games.
What is confirmed and what is not?
- Confirmed by Circana, via Piscatella: the Zelda console drove the best U.S. Switch 2 hardware dollar week of 2026, week ending Oct. 31.
- Confirmed by Circana: total U.S. hardware spending was up 81% from a year earlier that week.
- Reported, not confirmed: that GTA VI hype helped the overall hardware jump.
- Reported, not confirmed: scalping and a fast sellout of the console.
- Unknown: unit sales, any restock date, and how the Ocarina of Time remake itself sold. The Daily Game News notes the console and the game fall in separate monthly Circana reports.
Our take
One week is a spike, not a trend. Switch 2 had a nostalgic collector's console and a very well-reviewed remake land within seven days of each other, which is about as good a setup as Nintendo could ask for. The real test is Circana's monthly reports, which will show whether the lift holds once the Zelda hardware stops being scarce. Until then, we would read the 81% number as a sign that Nintendo's biggest names still move boxes, and that the next big number will probably belong to GTA VI.
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Picture credit: Nintendo
