Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had the biggest launch of any console exclusive game ever

Nintendo has revealed some staggering Pokemon Scarlet and Violet sales figures, and it turns out the new installments had the biggest launch of any console exclusive game ever.

In a press release, Nintendo revealed that it sold an eye-watering 10 million copies of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet globally within three days of their launch, with four million of those units being sold in Japan. "This is the highest number ever for global and domestic sales in the first three days after the release of software for all Nintendo game consoles, including Nintendo Switch," reads a bit from the press release.

As impressive as that is, it doesn't even paint the full picture. As industry analyst @BenjiSales points out, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's launch broke a number of sales records. Not only is it the biggest Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, and Pokemon launch ever, it's also the highest sales for any console exclusive launch in history. "There has never been a game, ever, released for any platform as an exclusive that has sold more than this," said BenjiSales. "We are literally looking at the Biggest Exclusive Launch of all time. Insanity."

For some context, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, one of the best-selling Switch games to date, only sold 1.88 million copies over its first three days in Japan, while the more recent Splatoon 3 sold a whopping 3.45 million units in Japan during that same three-day launch window.

These historic sales fly in the face of growing criticism around the game's performance and visuals. GamesRadar's 3/5-star Pokemon Scarlet and Violet review notes these performance issues and says it's "the most interesting Pokemon game in a long time, for better and worse."

If you're one of the 10 million jumping into Paldea, here are the best Pokemon Scarlet and Violet starters to choose from.