The NPD has released its April 2022 report covering video game hardware, software, and accessory sales in the US.
According to the NPD, total videogame industry spending declined 8% year-over-year (yoy) to $4.3 billion. Year-to-date, spending on hardware, content, and accessories also declined by 8% to $18.3 billion yoy.
For the month of April, hardware spending increased 16% yoy to $343 million thanks to available stock in PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. While hardware sales saw an increase for the month, yoy sales were down 9% to $1.5 billion which many in the industry attribute to the chip shortage which has made next-gen consoles hard to find.
Nintendo Switch sold the most units during April and is the top-selling console at present year-to-date. Xbox Series was the second best-selling console for the month and landed in the same position year-to-date.
That said, in dollar sales, PS5 led April followed by Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. Year-to-date, Xbox Series X/S leads in dollar sales, followed by PS5 and Switch.
Taking the new sales figures into account, Switch is now the fourth best-selling console in the US of all time, surpassing PlayStation 4. Sales of the console trail only PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360, making it the sixth best-selling console overall.
In software, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga debuted as the best-selling game of April and is currently the second best-selling game of 2022. If you look at the software charts for each platform below (via Mat Piscatella), you will note it was the top-selling game of the month on all platforms, including Steam.
Released on April 5, the game sold over 3.2 million copies in two weeks, making it the biggest launch in LEGO game history.
Elden Ring, which was the top-seller in both February and March, was the second best-selling title of April, and is currently the best-selling game year-to-date. It has surpassed Call of Duty: Vanguard as the best-selling premium game for the 12-month period ending April 2022.
As of May 11, Elden Ring has sold over 13.4 million units worldwide.
Rounding out the top five for April, in third place was MLB The Show 22 followed by Kirby and the Forgotten Land, and Nintendo Switch Sports, respectively.
Growth in mobile spending has slowed in the US, but despite this, usage of the top titles in the category remains strong.
For April 2022, the top earners were Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, Coin Master, Evony: The King’s Return, Royal Match, State of Survival: Zombie War, Bingo Blitz, Clash of Clans, Genshin Impact, and Call of Duty: Mobile.
Sales of accessories declined by 10% yoy during April to $151 million. Year-to-date spending on accessories dropped 15% to $743 million. For the month, the DualShock 4 Wireless Controller Black was the best-selling accessory, but year-to-date, the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller remains the best-selling accessory.
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