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The launch of Pokemon: Let's Go has more than tripled Switch hardware sales in Japan, with the game selling 664,198 copies in just three days.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

November 21, 2018

2 Min Read

Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! have hit the ground running in Japan, with the latest entry in the long-running franchise soaring to the top of the Japanese charts after selling 664,198 copies in just three days. 

As reported by Famitsu (via Gematsu), that figure includes physical copies, Poke Ball Plus Packs, download cards, and Switch hardware bundles -- but not straight up digital sales. 

Speaking of hardware, the launch of Pokemon: Let's Go more than tripled Switch hardware sales in Japan, with the system selling 180,585 units between November 12 to 18, compared to just 53,385 units the previous week. 

It's also interesting to note how well the game is selling compared to other Pokemon titles, given Let's Go is a more casual re-imagining of Pokemon: Red and Blue, rather than a brand new mainline release. 

Indeed, despite that apparent handicap, Let's Go compares favorably to previous entries, with games industry analyst Dr. Serkan Toto pointing out that it sold over 660,000 copies in three days against an install base of 5.5 million Switch consoles -- which is an attach rate of around 12 percent. 

By contrast, Pokemon: Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon launched in November last year and sold 1.2 million units over three days against an install base of 24 million 3DS consoles -- achieving an attach rate of roughly 5 percent. 

It's a comparison that highlights just how well Pokemon: Let's Go has been received on the Switch, and there's more where that came from over on Dr. Toto's full Twitter thread (pasted below).

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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