Another month, another report from The NPD Group. This time, we get to see the debut of one of the most significant pieces of news in the industry, which will quickly make headlines. In Q2 2022, Xbox has finally surpassed expectations and surpassed the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 as the best-selling hardware.
Of course, there are still some aspects of the report that need to be addressed. The first component is that the Xbox Series became the best-selling platform in terms of hardware dollar sales in March 2022 and Q1 2022. Of course, in terms of sales, the Nintendo Switch still reigns supreme. Because of its price plan, the platform will undoubtedly sell more units.
When compared to a year ago, dollar sales of video gaming hardware fell by 24% to $515 million. Hardware sales in the first quarter totaled $1.2 billion, down 15% from the same period in 2021. The fall in sales can be ascribed to the industry’s ongoing console hardware supply difficulties, as well as the market’s return to experiential expenditure.
In March 2022, a surge in Xbox sales set a new all-time March high for the platform
Microsoft’s ability to keep up with supply and demand is undoubtedly responsible for the console’s success. ‘Xbox had a big month due to having a supply that might help satisfy some of the demand,’ as Mat puts it. In HW’, supply is still an issue. This is especially true when it comes to the Nintendo Switch/PlayStation 5 systems’ lack of availability compared to the Xbox Series platforms.
Elden Ring was once again the best-selling game of the month, with dollar sales increasing by double digits since its premiere in February 2022. Elden Ring was the best-selling PlayStation, Xbox, and PC game in terms of dollar sales.
Elden Ring is the best-selling game of 2022 year-to-date, according to the NPD Group study, and now ranks second in dollar sales for the 12 months ending March 2022, trailing only Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Meanwhile, Gran Turismo 7 was the second-best-selling game in March 2022, and it was also the second-best-selling game on PlayStation platforms. This new Gran Turismo game set a new record for the highest monthly dollar sales for a Gran Turismo franchise debut. The fourth best-selling game in the first quarter was Gran Turismo 7.
When compared to a year ago, video game accessory spending fell 23% to $227 million in March 2022. Spending on video game accessories fell 16 percent to $592 million in the first quarter. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller was, predictably, the best-selling accessory in March, and it continues to be the best-selling accessory year-to-date.
Mobile game expenditure is down 12% year over year, with Google Play games revenue down over 25%, offsetting App Store games spending, which is down less than a quarter of a percent.
Despite this, expenditure on mobile games in the United States continues to surpass the NPD Group’s pre-pandemic estimates, while hints of a cooling in the area as consumers return to in-person activities are beginning to emerge. Garena Free Fire, Genshin Impact, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and Roblox are among the best-selling mobile games in March 2022, as they typically are.
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