Xbox Series X/S leads in dollar sales during March, Elden Ring once again tops software
Despite high dollar sales for Xbox, Switch was the best-selling console in terms of unit sales.
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The NPD has released its March 2022 report covering video game hardware, software, and accessory sales in the US.
According to the NPD, total videogame industry spending declined 15% year-over-year to $4.9 billion. Declines were seen across hardware, software, mobile, and accessories, with first-quarter 2022 spending down 8% to $13.9 billion compared to the same period in 2021.
In hardware, sales declined by 24% year-over-year to $515 million. Sales reached $1.2 billion during Q1 2022, which is a 15% decline compared to Q1 2021.
Xbox Series X/S was the best-selling console for March 2022 in terms of dollar sales and for Q1. Xbox hardware unit and dollar sales in March 2022 set new all-time March highs for the platform. Previous Xbox bests were in unit sales during March 2011, and dollar sales in March 2014.
While Xbox Series X/S may have led in dollar sales, Nintendo Switch led in unit sales, making it the best-selling console for the month.
With software, Elden Ring was the best-selling game for March. Dollar sales were up by double-digit percentage sales compared to when it topped the charts in February. The game was first in dollar sales across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
The game is currently the best-selling title year-to-date and is second overall for the 12-month period ending March 2022. Dollar sales of Elden Ring trail only those of Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Gran Turismo 7 debuted as the second best-selling game for the month, and second on PlayStation consoles. The title set a new all-time launch sales record for a Gran Turismo franchise launch, and it is the fourth best-selling game of Q1.
On the software charts, Pokemon Legends: Arceus came in second, Horizon Forbidden West was third, followed by Gran Truismo 7 and Call of Duty: Vanguard, respectively. The full top 20 chart can be seen below, and best-selling games per platform can be found at the bottom of the article.
Mobile games sales for the month were down 12% year-over-year, and Google Play games revenue declined almost 25% during the period, offsetting App Store games spending, which was down less than 1/4 of a percent. Despite the decline, consumer spending on mobile games in the US was off by less than 10% year-over-year during the quarter.
According to Sensor Tower, the top mobile games by revenue for March were: Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, Coin Master, Garena Free Fire, Genshin Impact, Evony: The King's Return, Bingo Blitz, Royal Match, and Candy Crush Soda Saga.
March 2022 spending on accessories fell 23% to $227 million year-over-year, with Q1 accessory spending declining 16% to $592 million. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller was the best-selling accessory during March, and it remains the best-selling accessory year-to-date.
