The remake of Resident Evil 4 has established itself as the best-selling current-generation remake, with total lifetime sales exceeding 16.8 million units across PC and consoles. This figure places it substantially ahead of other notable remakes, including Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced, which recently launched to 3.5 million sales.
Data from Alinea Analytics indicates that Resident Evil 4's remake has become a significant financial success for Capcom. While Capcom's last reported figures for the game stood at 13.6 million units as of March 31, 2026, the updated figures suggest substantial growth in the intervening months. This surge in sales positions the remake to potentially become Capcom's fifth-best-selling game of all time, surpassing titles like Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter World: Iceborne.
Current-Gen Remake Sales Landscape
The market for remakes remains robust, with several titles achieving impressive sales numbers on current-generation hardware. Ark: Survival Ascended, a remake of the 2015 title, ranks second with 7 million units sold, primarily driven by PC sales, followed by PlayStation and Xbox. The Last of Us Part 1 secured third place with 6.3 million units, notable given its availability on PS5 and PC. Other strong performers include Oblivion Remastered (4.5 million), Dead Space (4.3 million), and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth (4.2 million). The Silent Hill 2 remake rounds out the reported list with 3.2 million units sold, a number already surpassed by the Assassin's Creed Black Flag remake.
Despite its strong sales performance, the Dead Space remake has not been enough to prevent the franchise from going on hiatus, with reports indicating no immediate plans for new entries in the series at EA. Co-creator Glen Schofield has publicly shared his attempts to pitch new ideas for the franchise's revival, though these efforts have seemingly yielded no results.
The Strategic Value of Remakes
Industry analysts suggest that high-fidelity remakes have become a crucial strategy for publishers navigating the increasingly risky AAA development landscape. Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics described remakes as a more secure investment compared to launching new intellectual property, which carries a longer development cycle and no guaranteed audience. Remakes offer a proven design framework, an existing fanbase, and a more manageable production pipeline, thereby reducing financial risk.
Capcom's approach with Resident Evil 4 is cited as an example of how remakes can complement new game development by providing a reliable revenue stream. This financial stability can allow publishers to invest in original projects, such as Capcom's upcoming title Pragmata. The trend of remakes is also seen as a way to keep established intellectual properties relevant and introduce them to new generations of players, a sentiment echoed by gaming industry veteran Shigeru Miyamoto.