UK Chart Analysis: Mario Kart World Keeps Nintendo Switch 2 at No.1 on the Top 40

It’s that time again, as Cubed3 brings you the latest UK gaming chart data, courtesy of NielsenIQ/GfK Entertainment. It’s a quiet week in general, with Mario Kart World holding the top spot in the Entertainment Software Top 40, with Donkey Kong Banaza being nudged down a place to No.3 in its third week on sale by the ever-present Hogwarts Legacy, which continues to go strong thanks to firstly good word of mouth on what is a very impressive game indeed, but also because of the on-going hype surrounding the impending new TV series. The original Switch version leads the way there, with a 51% share of total retail sales, whilst the Switch 2 iteration sadly only managed a meagre 4% this week (down from No.4 to No.7 on the Switch 2-specific Top 20).

Minecraft on Switch remains as powerful as ever, remaining steady at No.6, holding off a resurgent PS5 classic, The Last of Us Part II: Remastered, which shoots up from No.36 to No.7 thanks to retailer promotions. Many PS5 titles benefitted this week, as a result, with the likes of Gran Turismo 7 back in at No.12, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 returning at No.23, and a 96% share of Dragon’s Dogma II sales helping Capcom’s release to slip back in at No.35.

Switch 2 seemed to have a rather slow week in terms of software sales for the week ending 2nd August, as its No.6 game of the week, Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition doesn’t make the main Top 40, meaning games beneath it that do feature (Hogwarts Legacy at No.7, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 at No.8, WWE 2K25 at No.10, and so on) only do so based on combined sales of other strong format sales. The cut-off this week is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is up five spots to No.5 on the Switch 2 chart, and up two to No.27 on the main Top 40, with a 46% total cut of all sales coming from the Switch 2 Edition. Last week’s release of Super Mario Party Jamboree + Jamboree TV is split 58% in favour of the original Switch edition and 42% Switch 2 Edition, with most people seemingly taking the Switch to Switch 2 upgrade path via eShop, which isn’t included in the retail-only sales data provided.

For those intrigued, No Sleep for Kaname Date sadly fell from No.11 to No.20 in its second week on the Switch 2 Top 20, giving Civilization VII a reprieve from being the lowest selling Switch 2 title of the past seven days (it’s now up one to No.19, along with Raidou Remastered climbing one, as a result, to No.18). Last week’s KOEI Tecmo launch of Wild Hearts S disappoints, sliding two to No.16, despite glowing reviews.

Check out the full Top 40 Entertainment Software list for Week 31, ending 2nd August, below: