UK Chart Analysis: Mario Kart World Takes Nintendo Switch 2 Back to the Summit

Nintendo reclaims the top spot as its key Switch 2 software surges back up the charts in the UK, with Mario Kart World claiming the top spot once more. Last week’s No.1, Mafia: The Old Country – which was the biggest release since Mafia III – slips one spot to make way for Switch 2’s premier racing title, whilst Donkey Kong Banaza shuffles above Hogwarts Legacy to No.3. Strong retail sales over the past seven days – for the week ending 16th August – has led to a flurry of activity on the Entertainment Software Top 40, provided by NielsenIQ and GfK Entertainment. Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition‘s PC version helps it slam back in at No.5, with a 63% share of weekly sales (Switch 2 only taking home a 4% cut due to it being the highest priced SKU on the market right now and not having Bandai Namco backing it on the publishing front as CD Projekt Red self-published that newest version).

It’s Warner Bros. Interactive that seems to be the biggest winner in the promotion stakes, with so many of its LEGO titles storming the list, primarily thanks to Switch iterations ruling the roost, with the exception of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (down two to No.7) where PS5 takes 52% of the sales, compared to Switch with 26%. However, the rest are Switch-powered increases: LEGO Harry Potter Collection leaps from No.31 to No.8 (Switch share 89%), LEGO Jurassic World returns at No.15 (Switch share 93%), The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame, LEGO Worlds and LEGO DC Super-Villains are at No.30, No.31, and No.32, respectively, again with Switch being the lead format with an 80%+ share for each game.

Madden NFL 26 makes its debut on Switch 2 this week, taking a 27% share compared to 67% on PS5 (helping it to land at No.5 on the Switch 2 Top 20), and cumulative console sales helping it make its first-week mark at No.16. Switch 2’s recent release, Super Mario Party Jamboree holds well, only dropping a single place to No.14, with 33% of sales coming from the Switch 2 Edition, and the rest being attributed to the original Switch version. Since data is not supplied surrounding downloads, it’s unknown how many Switch owners have taken the upgrade path to get the Jamboree TV expansion that comes automatically included with the Switch 2 version. This could be a case of the Switch 2 version looking weak at retail, yet not being a true reflection as people are instead upgrading from Switch to Switch 2 via the eShop upgrade route. Elsewhere on the Switch 2 Top 20, No Sleep for Kaname Date – From AI: The Somnium Files has fallen off the chart this week due to a mix of Madden‘s debut and Raidou Remastered climbing one place to No.19, with Civilization VII falling two to No.20, but doing enough to fight off Spike Chunsoft’s highly rate title.

Be sure to check out the full Entertainment Software Top 40 for the week ending 16th August right here: