While it may have been surprising at just how quickly Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! had managed to reach 10 million sales combined in the latter periods of 2018, what many consider the first pairing of mainline Pokemon titles -- and the first to feature on a home console -- has gone one better in a little over six weeks. Or rather, six million better. Up to the end of last year, December 31, Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield -- since its release on November 15 -- have combined amassed total worldwide sales of a whopping 16 million. Making easy work at getting into the top five highest-selling Switch titles since the console's launch in 2017. As a result, it beats the record for fastest-selling Switch game which was previously held by 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, itself sitting at total software sales of 17.68 million.

Despite the many controversies and questions surrounding Game Freak's decision-making as to the production and content distribution in Sword and Shield, needless to say it hasn't stopped eager fans from investing in what has been an eagerly-anticipated release (or releases) ever since its confirmation of development way back at E3 2017. Elsewhere, Nintendo also saw commercial success with not just its other first-party ventures, but also with additional third-party exclusives. Luigi's Mansion 3, which launched in October, surpassed 5 million copies, while the likes of Team Ninja's Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 and PlatinumGames' excellent Astral Chain both reached the million units milestone. Becoming the 15th and 16th game respectively, to sell over a million on the Switch.