The most popular games and systems in the US were revealed in the NPD Group’s most recent monthly sales report, which was published for September 2022. The research sheds insight on the general state of the US video gaming industry.
$4.1 billion was spent on video games overall in the US in September, including games, gear, and accessories. In comparison to September 2021, that decreased by 4%. However, hardware saw year over year growth. Console sales for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S increased by double digit percentages. The US has spent $38.4 billion on video games so far this year, down 8% from last year’s total.
Spending on video games especially decreased by 7% in September 2022, falling to $3.4 billion. The most popular game in September overall was FIFA 23, followed by NBA 2K23 and Madden NFL 23. Given that Nintendo’s digital sales are not included in the NPD’s record, Splatoon 3’s ranking at No. 4 is an outstanding accomplishment.
September 2022 Best-Selling Games In The US
- FIFA 23
- Madden NFL 23
- NBA 2K23*
- Splatoon 3*
- The Last of Us: Part I
- TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
- Saints Row
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
- Elden Ring
- Mario Kart 8*
- Minecraft
- Marvel’s Spider-Man
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- MLB The Show 22^
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Year-To-Date 2022 Top 10 Games
- Elden Ring
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Madden NFL 23
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
- Horizon Forbidden West
- MLB The Show 22^
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Gran Turismo 7
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
- Mario Kart 8*
12 Months Ending September 2022 Top 10 Games
- Elden Ring
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl*
- Battlefield 2042
- Madden NFL 23
- Far Cry 6
- Madden NFL 22
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
- Horizon Forbidden West
Additionally noteworthy is the fact that FIFA 23 debuted on September 27, which was the very last day of the month’s reporting period for NPD (August 27-October 1). Sales of hardware increased by 19% on a yearly basis in September, which was the third consecutive month of double-digit growth. According to NPD, the improvement in PS5 availability in particular was responsible for the increase in console spending. Both in terms of unit sales and dollar sales, the PS5 was the top-selling system in September, followed by the Xbox and the Nintendo Switch.
September 2022 Top 10 Nintendo Games
- Splatoon 3*
- TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
- Mario Kart 8*
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
- Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
- Animal Crossing: NEw Horizons*
- Nintendo Switch Sports*
- Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
September 2022 Top 10 PlayStation Games
- FIFA 23
- Madden NFL 23
- NBA 2K23*
- The Last of Us: Part I
- Saints Row
- TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
- Elden Ring
- Horizon Forbidden West
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
- Gran Turismo 7
September 2022 Top 10 Xbox Games
- Madden NFL 23
- FIFA 23
- NBA 2K23*
- Saints Row
- Elden Ring
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
- TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Call of Duty: Vanguard
*Digital sales not included
Spending on accessories in September was $174 million, which was unchanged from September 2021. However, this is actually good news because September 2022 was the first month since October 2021 in which expenditure on accessories did not decrease year over year. In terms of both unit and dollar sales, the Xbox Carbon Black Controller was the month’s top-selling accessory.
In the mobile game department, spending dropped by 5% year-over-year. “Compared to other mobile apps, spending in games accounted for 54% of total mobile spend vs. 60% a year ago. While new game installs generally see a seasonal slowdown during the month of September, this year’s decline was particularly sharp, driven by a 40% year-over-year decline in new installs of hypercasual games,” NPD said. “New game installs in September were down 3% year over year and at the lowest point since before February of 2019.”
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