How many copies did Pokémon Sword and Shield sell worldwide during their opening weekend?

Pokémon Sword and Shield sold more than 6 million copies worldwide during their opening weekend.

The paired role-playing games launched for Nintendo Switch in November 2019 and introduced the Galar region, which is inspired by the United Kingdom. Players explored open areas, encountered regional forms, and used new mechanics such as Dynamax and Gigantamax transformations during selected battles.

Their opening-weekend total made Sword and Shield the fastest-selling Pokémon games at that point and briefly made them the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch games worldwide. In Japan alone, the games sold two million copies during their first three days, including 1.36 million retail copies.

The record did not remain permanent. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet later surpassed Sword and Shield’s sales milestones and became the fastest-selling Switch titles. Another common confusion is treating the six-million figure as first-week sales in one country; it refers to the worldwide opening weekend for the two games combined.