Image Credit: Activision
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has made a strong debut in the UK physical game sales chart, claiming first place in the rankings for the week ending October 24, 2026. Activision’s latest shooter entered the chart ahead of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and EA Sports FC 27, giving the franchise another major opening week headline.
However, the platform breakdown makes this launch particularly interesting. According to the latest UK retail figures reported by GfK, the PlayStation 5 version accounted for the overwhelming majority of the game’s physical sales, while Xbox Series X|S took a smaller share and Nintendo Switch 2 contributed only a small portion.
The results offer an early look at where physical buyers are purchasing the latest Call of Duty, although they do not tell the complete story of the game’s overall commercial performance.
Modern Warfare 4 Takes First Place in the UK
According to the UK software chart published on October 26, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 debuted at number one for the week ending October 24. The rankings cover physical retail sales across the UK, placing the new shooter ahead of several established franchises and other recent releases.
Here is how the top five finished:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- Nintendo Switch Sports Resort
- EA Sports FC 27
- Final Fantasy Resonance
- Star Wars: Galactic Racer
The debut pushed EA Sports FC 27 down from first place to third. Meanwhile, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort secured second place in its first week, showing that the latest Nintendo exclusive also attracted considerable attention from physical game buyers.
The top five featured three new chart entries, making it a particularly eventful week for the UK retail market.
For Modern Warfare 4, reaching number one immediately establishes a strong opening position. Nevertheless, the chart does not provide unit totals, so its exact sales volume and how it compares with earlier Call of Duty launches cannot be determined from these rankings alone.
Source: Nintendo Everything’s UK software sales chart.
PS5 Accounts for 78% of Physical Sales
The most striking detail is the reported breakdown by platform. PlayStation 5 accounted for 78% of Modern Warfare 4‘s physical sales, while Xbox Series X|S represented 19%. Nintendo Switch 2 accounted for the remaining 3%.
That means the PS5 version generated more than three quarters of the game’s reported boxed sales in the UK.
The platform split is as follows:
| Platform | Share of physical sales |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 78% |
| Xbox Series X|S | 19% |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | 3% |
These figures come from the reported GfK retail chart data, as covered by Nintendo Life and Techtroduce.
The PlayStation result is particularly notable because the PS5’s share is more than four times the Xbox Series X|S share. Still, this does not necessarily mean four times as many PS5 players bought the game overall. The percentages describe physical sales, not the complete number of purchases across digital storefronts, subscriptions, or other distribution channels.
The figures also do not establish why one platform performed better than another. Console ownership, retail availability, edition preferences, and digital purchasing habits could all influence the final breakdown.
What Does the Switch 2’s 3% Share Mean?
Nintendo Switch 2’s reported 3% share is one of the most interesting parts of the chart. Despite the game’s presence across several console platforms, the physical version on Nintendo’s latest system accounted for only a small fraction of the UK boxed sales recorded for launch week.
That result may raise questions about the audience for a major first person shooter on Nintendo hardware. However, it would be premature to conclude that the game is unsuccessful on Switch 2 based on this figure alone.
The chart excludes digital sales, meaning purchases through the Nintendo eShop are not represented in the 3% share. The available figures also do not provide a worldwide breakdown or disclose the number of physical copies sold on each platform.
A more complete assessment would require digital sales estimates, overall unit sales, and comparable launch data from previous entries in the series.
For now, the clearest conclusion is that PS5 dominated the UK physical launch sales, while Switch 2 had a comparatively small presence in that particular market segment.
How Other New Releases Performed
Although Modern Warfare 4 secured the top spot, it was not the only new release making an impression.
Nintendo Switch Sports Resort entered the chart at number two, giving Nintendo a strong debut of its own. Final Fantasy Resonance also performed well, landing at number four.
The platform breakdown for Final Fantasy Resonance provides an interesting contrast. PS5 represented 54% of its physical sales, Nintendo Switch 2 accounted for 34%, and the original Nintendo Switch contributed 12%. Together, the two Nintendo platforms represented 46% of the reported physical sales for that game.
That is considerably different from Modern Warfare 4‘s platform distribution. However, the titles appeal to different audiences and have different platform histories, so their percentages should not be treated as a direct measure of which game is more popular overall.
Elsewhere, Star Wars: Galactic Racer remained in fifth place, while Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse dropped from third to seventh. Minecraft climbed from eleventh to eighth, and LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight rose from twenty third to ninth.
The results illustrate how new releases can quickly reshape the retail rankings, even as established games continue to sell.
Source: VGChartz’s UK retail chart report.
Can Modern Warfare 4 Maintain Its Lead?
Debuting at number one is an encouraging start, but the next few weeks will reveal more about the game’s staying power.
The UK physical chart offers only one part of the commercial picture. Digital purchases, sales in other regions, and continued demand after launch will all matter when assessing the game’s overall performance.
It will also be worth watching whether the PS5 maintains its strong lead in physical sales and whether the Switch 2 version gains momentum. Future chart reports could help establish whether the launch distribution reflects a lasting trend or simply the initial purchasing habits of physical buyers.
For now, Modern Warfare 4 has secured the headline position in the UK retail rankings, with PS5 responsible for most of its reported boxed sales.
Final Thoughts
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has started its UK retail run at number one, placing it ahead of Nintendo Switch Sports Resort and EA Sports FC 27. Its reported platform split is even more revealing, with PS5 accounting for 78% of physical sales, Xbox Series X|S taking 19%, and Switch 2 contributing 3%.
The important distinction is that these numbers describe UK physical retail sales, not total worldwide purchases. Digital sales and unit totals are not included in the available breakdown, so it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about the game’s full commercial performance.
As more sales data becomes available, we should get a clearer picture of how Modern Warfare 4 performs across platforms and whether it can maintain its position at the top of the charts.
What do you think about Modern Warfare 4‘s launch sales? Are you surprised by PS5’s dominant share, or do you think digital sales could paint a different picture for Xbox and Switch 2? Let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to The Gamers Cut for more gaming news, sales updates, and industry coverage.
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