The video game marketplace goes through ebbs and flows, with certain periods marked by a lull in releases as others see a number of high-profile titles at once.May 29, 2025 was a big day for Switch and PS5 usersthanks to the simultaneous console-exclusive releases of Bandai Namco’sNew Pokemon Snapand Housemarque’sReturnal, respectively, and boxed sales numbers out of the UK for the week ending on May 1 reflect this.
ThoughFIFA 21has been a strong seller in the UK almost continually since it released in October 2020, Nintendo games have found just as much success in that region.Super Mario 3D All-Starswas the top-selling physical game at the end of March, its final week on the market, andAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsreturned to the top boxed sales slotcome April. Six Switch games are in the top 10 this week, according to numbers published by GamesIndustry.biz, withNew Pokemon Snaptaking the lead.
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GivenNew Pokemon Snapis the revival of a beloved spin-off series from the Nintendo 64 era, it makes sense to see it climb to the top of the UK boxed sales charts. However, it seemingly went well above expectations, quadrupling the launch week sales ofPokemon Snapfrom September 2000.Returnalfollowed up in the second place position, described by GamesIndustry.biz as the “first significant PS5 title to release at retail since launch,” though the analysis site wagers it was held back by a smaller install base, niche genre, and increased sales price.
While the PS5 exclusive has reviewed well overall,Returnalhas been subject to backlash and review bombingprimarily due to its high difficulty, seemingly unfair save feature, and a host of bugs that result in crashes and other issues. GamesIndustry.biz says to expect sales fluctuation as more consoles are released, but also confidently predictsResident Evil Villagewill take the number one spot next week.
Following these front-runners areSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, FIFA 21, Minecrafton Switch,Grand Theft Auto 5, Ring Fit Adventure,andCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The numbers do not include digital sales, yet overall 180,000 games were sold in retail for the week ending May 1.
While it seems likelyResident Evilwill claim the top spot next week as GamesIndustry.biz predicts, it’s hard to know for sure given the fickle nature of the industry.Last week’s front-runnerNier Replicantdropped to number 22 on the boxed charts after a 78 percent fall in sales, for example, and it seems unlikely a game likeNew Pokemon Snapwill necessarily follow suit.
