Horizon Forbidden West Tops UK Sales Chart With 50% Digital Sales

Horizon Forbidden West launched last week to universal acclaim from critics and fans alike. The sequel was one of the most anticipated games of the year and it certainly made the wait worthwhile. Some even consider the game better than the original and the sales back it up. Forbidden West has been selling like hotcakes in the world’s biggest markets. And, new reports from the UK and Japan confirm this fact.

A recent article from Christopher Dring on GamesIndustry.biz shared the news that Horizon Forbidden: West topped the UK sales chart this week. 49% Of the game’s sales in the UK were digital downloads. This is significantly more than the digital sales of the original game. For Zero Dawn Only 22% of the total sales were digital. This increase in digital downloads indicates a new trend in the industry. Now, more players prefer buying games digitally than getting a physical copy. And, considering the events over the past few years this is not surprising.

The sequels sales were a bit lower than the original. Horizon Forbidden West undershot the sales of Zero Dawn by about 7%. This is fair considering the PS5 install base isn’t that high right now and players prefer to play it on that console. Horizon Forbidden West also launched on a Friday while Zero Dawn was released on a Wednesday. As a result, Zero Dawn had two extra days to account for in sales. The circumstances of the original’s release were also much better so this is expected.

Horizon: Forbidden West has also done really well in Japan. The sequel was the 3rd most sold game in the week spanning Feb 14-Feb 20. The game sold 48,476 units in its first week in Japan. This is a good performance considering it was only available for three days this week. Only Touken Ranbu Warriors and Pokémon Legends: Arceus outsold the game in its first week. That is fair seeing how they are really popular in Japan and were available for more time.

1 [NSW] Touken Ranbu Warriors – 113.159 / NEW
2 [NSW] Pokemon Legends: Arceus – 84.925 / 2.008.795 (-39%)
3 [PS4] Horizon Forbidden West – 48.476 / NEW pic.twitter.com/d3sGdiUqYG

— Pierre485 (@pierre485_) February 25, 2022

The game’s release also increased the PS5 sales in Japan. But, this is expected with any first-part title release on the console. The PS5 sold more than the Xbox Series S but couldn’t outsell the OLED Switch. Overall, Horizon Forbidden West did a great job in Japan.

This amazing commercial performance by Forbidden West is no surprise considering how great the game is. Critics have only had good things to say about the game and it’s said to be one of the best sequels in gaming history. Forbidden West will certainly keep selling in huge numbers in the future because it is just that good. If you haven’t bought it yourself, you are missing out on a truly amazing experience of gaming.