MakeYourChart

Best-selling Pokémon games

Pokémon Red, Green and Blue (1996) are still the best-selling Pokémon games at about 31.4 million copies; Scarlet/Violet is second with 28.46 million.

Make this videoDownload data (CSV)

Free to edit and export · No signup to start

What the data shows

  • Pokémon Red / Green / Blue (1996) ranks #1 with 31.4M, ahead of Pokémon Scarlet / Violet (2022) (28.5M) and Pokémon Sword / Shield (2019) (27.3M).

About this chart

Pokémon Red/Green/Blue (1996) is the best-selling Pokémon game, with about 31.4 million copies, and the first generation including Yellow comes to about 46 million. Scarlet/Violet (2022) is second at 28.46 million, ahead of Sword/Shield (2019) at 27.26 million, with Gold/Silver (1999) fourth at 23.73 million. Paired versions are counted together as one title.

Nine of the 15 titles are from 2013 or later, so the Switch and 3DS era dominates. Figures come from different reporting dates: most Switch titles are as of 2022 to 2026, 3DS titles as of March 2025 and older games are historical totals, so recent releases may still be growing. Pokémon Legends: Z-A has 13.09 million combined Switch and Switch 2 Edition copies as of June 30, 2026. Red/Green/Blue shows 31.40 million in Nintendo's list and 31.3 million on the Game Boy list. Spin-offs are excluded.

The data

Source: Nintendo IR (Top Selling Title Sales Units, as of June 30, 2026) for Switch titles; Wikipedia lists of best-selling Nintendo video games, Game Boy, DS, 3DS and Game Boy Advance games (which cite Nintendo/Pokémon Company figures) for earlier titles. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Static ranking of the 15 best-selling Pokémon games, paired versions (e.g. Red/Green/Blue, Sword/Shield) counted together. Figures are from different reporting dates (most Switch titles as of 2022-2026, 3DS titles March 2025, older titles historical) so very recent titles may still be growing. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the combined Switch and Switch 2 Edition total (13.09M, June 30, 2026). Red/Green/Blue shows 31.40M in Wikipedia's Nintendo list (31.3M on its Game Boy list). Pokémon Pokopia and spin-offs are excluded.

Best-selling Pokémon games, Copies sold worldwide, millions; paired versions combined, Copies sold (M)
DatePokémon Red / Green / Blue (1996)Pokémon Scarlet / Violet (2022)Pokémon Sword / Shield (2019)Pokémon Gold / Silver (1999)Pokémon Diamond / Pearl (2006)Pokémon X / Y (2013)Pokémon Sun / Moon (2016)Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire (2002)Pokémon Black / White (2010)Pokémon Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee (2018)Pokémon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl (2021)Pokémon Legends: Arceus (2022)Pokémon Omega Ruby / Alpha Sapphire (2014)Pokémon Yellow (1998)Pokémon Legends: Z-A (2025)
Copies sold (M)31.4M28.5M27.3M23.7M17.7M16.8M16.3M16.2M15.6M15.1M15.1M14.8M14.7M14.6M13.1M

Post it

Suggested caption: “The 1996 originals are still the best-selling Pokémon games.” Credit the source in your caption; it heads off the 'source?' comments.

Make it yours

  • Switch between bar, line, column and donut races with one click.
  • Pick 9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 4:5 for the feed or 16:9 for YouTube.
  • Change the theme, font, colors and race length, and add your own captions.
  • Paste your own numbers from Excel or Google Sheets. See the bar chart race maker for tips.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best-selling Pokémon game?

Pokémon Red, Green and Blue (1996) is the best-selling Pokémon game, with about 31.4 million copies. Including Yellow (14.6 million), the first generation totals about 46 million.

How many copies has Pokémon Scarlet and Violet sold?

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (2022) has sold 28.46 million copies, the second-best total of any Pokémon game on this chart. Sword and Shield (2019) follows with 27.26 million.

How many copies has Pokémon Legends: Z-A sold?

Pokémon Legends: Z-A has sold 13.09 million copies combined across Switch and Switch 2 Edition as of June 30, 2026, according to Nintendo. It was released in 2025 and may still be climbing.

Where does this data come from?

Nintendo IR (Top Selling Title Sales Units, as of June 30, 2026) for Switch titles; Wikipedia lists of best-selling Nintendo video games, Game Boy, DS, 3DS and Game Boy Advance games (which cite Nintendo/Pokémon Company figures) for earlier titles. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Static ranking of the 15 best-selling Pokémon games, paired versions (e.g. Red/Green/Blue, Sword/Shield) counted together. Figures are from different reporting dates (most Switch titles as of 2022-2026, 3DS titles March 2025, older titles historical) so very recent titles may still be growing. Pokémon Legends: Z-A is the combined Switch and Switch 2 Edition total (13.09M, June 30, 2026). Red/Green/Blue shows 31.40M in Wikipedia's Nintendo list (31.3M on its Game Boy list). Pokémon Pokopia and spin-offs are excluded. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

Yes. Open it in the editor, change the title, theme, colors or format (9:16 for Reels and TikTok, 16:9 for YouTube), and export an MP4. Free exports are 720p with a small watermark; Pro ($11.99/month) removes it and adds 1080p, 4K and 60 fps.

Related data

All fun charts
FunReal data

PS5 vs PS4 sales since launch

Sony has shipped 95.3 million PS5 consoles through June 30, 2026, about 5% behind the PS4's 100.2 million at the same point after launch.

FunReal data

Stanley Cup Wins by Team

The Montreal Canadiens have 24 Stanley Cups since 1915, well ahead of Toronto (13) and Detroit (11); Carolina won its second in 2026.

FunReal data

Star Wars Box Office by Film

The Force Awakens leads Star Wars at about $2.068 billion; all 13 theatrical films total about $10.75 billion worldwide. Gross per film, unadjusted.