State of the market
Projected total US spending on video game hardware, content and accessories gained 4% in March 2024 vs YA, reaching $4.9B. Mobile content spending grew 15%, offseting a 32% drop in hardware. (Mobile source: Sensor Tower)Mobile’s strong performance was supplemented by a 3% increase in Console Content spend, along with a 2% gain in the PC, Cloud and Non-Console VR Content segment. Mobile accounted for 89% of the total year-on-year growth in video game content spending during the month.
| Circana - U.S. Video Game Industry Sales - March 2024 (Dollars, Millions) Reporting Period: 3/3/2024 through 4/6/2024 (5 weeks) | Mar-23 | Mar-24 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Video Game Sales | $4,715 | $4,886 | 4% |
| Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms) | $3,919 | $4,253 | 9% |
| Video Game Hardware | $574 | $391 | -32% |
| Video Game Accessories | $22 | $242 | 9% |
| Circana - U.S. Video Game Industry Sales - March 2024 (Dollars, Millions) Reporting Period: 12/30/2023 through 4/6/2024 (14 weeks) | YTD End Mar 2023 | YTD End Mar 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Video Game Sales | $13,773 | $14,668 | 6% |
| Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC, and VR platforms) | $11,738 | $12,843 | 9% |
| Video Game Hardware | $1,468 | $1,118 | -24% |
| Video Game Accessories | $567 | $707 | 25% |
Hardware
February video game hardware spending fell 32% when compared to a year ago, to $391 million. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and Switch spending each declined a minimum of 30% year-on-year. Hardware spending finished the first quarter down 24% versus the first quarter of 2023.PlayStation 5 led the hardware market in unit and dollar sales during both March and the first quarter. Nintendo Switch once again finished 2nd in unit sales across both time periods while Xbox Series ranked 2nd in dollars.
Software
Dragon’s Dogma II debuted as the best-selling premium game of March and the 3rd best-selling game of 2024 YTD. With just one month in market, Dragon’s Dogma II has already surpassed the life-to-date tracked dollar sales of Dragon’s Dogma and Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen combined.Helldivers II remains the best-selling premium game of 2024 year-to-date after placing 2nd in March. Helldivers II currently ranks 7th in lifetime US dollar sales for Sony published titles after just two months in market. PC has been a huge part of the success of Helldivers II in the US. With PC, Helldivers II is already the 7th highest grossing Sony published game in history. Without PC it wouldn't currently rank among the top 20. Just the PS5 version would make Helldivers II the best-selling game in the US YTD. As would just the PC version.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth remained the 4th best-selling game of 2024 year-to-date, despite falling 5 spots in the monthly rankings to 7th in March after placing 2nd in February. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth currently ranks 14th across all Final Fantasy releases in lifetime dollar sales in the US market. Final Fantasy XV is 1st all-time, followed by Final Fantasy VII: Remake and the original Final Fantasy VII. If you added Final Fantasy VII Remake & Rebirth Twin Pack solely to Rebirth the year-to-date sales rankings would not change.
Hi-Fi Rush was in the Top 50 Revenue ranking.
Mobile
Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by US consumer spending in March and the change in rank vs Feb as: MONOPOLY GO!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Coin Master (+1), Whiteout Survival (+1), Last War: Survival (+4), Pokémon Go (-3), Township (+1) and Clash of Clans (-2).“The highlight this month is Last War: Survival, which grew 40% to overtake Pokémon GO, Township, and Clash of Clans,” said Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “Last War: Survival is now right on the heels of fellow 2023 4X Strategy launch Whiteout Survival (+14% MoM)."
“The top four games remain unchanged and continue to maintain a significant gap from the rest of the field, with MONOPOLY GO! still holding a commanding lead over 2nd place Royal Match,” said Aune.
Accessories
March spending on Accessories increased 9% when compared to a year ago to $242M, helped by 8% growth in headset/headphone spending.The PlayStation Dual Sense Edge was the best-selling accessory in dollar sales during both March and the first quarter.
Software Charts
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | Dragon’s Dogma II | Capcom USA | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | Helldivers II | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 3 | NEW | MLB: The Show 24^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | 3 |
| 4 | 3 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) | - |
| 5 | NEW | Rise of the Ronin | Sony (Corp) | 3 |
| 6 | NEW | Princess Peach: Showtime!* | Nintendo | 3 |
| 7 | 2 | Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth | Square Enix Inc (Corp) | - |
| 8 | NEW | Unicorn Overlord | Sega | 5 |
| 9 | NEW | WWE 2K24* | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) | 5 |
| 10 | 10 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games | - |
| 11 | 6 | Madden NFL 24 | Electronic Arts | - |
| 12 | 12 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts | - |
| 13 | 16 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | - |
| 14 | 107 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 15 | 5 | Tekken 8 | Bandai Namco Entertainment | - |
| 16 | 19 | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] | Ubisoft | - |
| 17 | 14 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment | - |
| 18 | 17 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo | - |
| 19 | 13 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 20 | 18 | Mortal Kombat 1 | Warner Bros. Games | - |
^ Digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox platforms not included
Year to Date
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Helldivers 2 | Sony (Corp) | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) | - |
| 3 | NEW | Dragon’s Dogma II | Capcom USA | 3 |
| 4 | 4 | Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth | Square Enix Inc (Corp) | 6 |
| 5 | NEW | MLB: The Show 24^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | 3 |
| 6 | 3 | Tekken 8 | Bandai Namco Entertainment | 11 |
| 7 | 5 | Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League | Warner Bros. Games | 10 |
| 8 | 6 | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Electronic Arts | - |
| 9 | 7 | P3: Persona 3: Reload [Shin Megami Tensei] | Sega | 10 |
| 10 | 8 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games | - |
| 11 | 10 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts | - |
| 12 | 9 | Skull and Bones | Ubisoft | 8 |
| 13 | 11 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 14 | NEW | Rise of the Ronin | Sony (Corp) | 3 |
| 15 | 14 | Super Mario Bros. Wonder* | Nintendo | - |
| 16 | 15 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment | - |
| 17 | 18 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers | - |
| 18 | 12 | Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth | Sega | 11 |
| 19 | 13 | The Last of Us: Part II | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 20 | 19 | Mortal Kombat 1 | Warner Bros. Games | - |
^ Digital sales on Nintendo and Xbox platforms not included
PlayStation Platforms
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | MLB: The Show 24 | Sony (Corp) | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | Helldivers II | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 3 | NEW | Dragon’s Dogma II | Capcom USA | 3 |
| 4 | NEW | Rise of the Ronin | Sony (Corp) | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) | - |
| 6 | 2 | Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth | Square Enix Inc (Corp) | - |
| 7 | NEW | WWE 2K24* | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) | 5 |
| 8 | 6 | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Electronic Arts | - |
| 9 | 11 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts | - |
| 10 | 9 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony) | Sony (Corp) | - |
| 11 | NEW | Unicorn Overlord | Sega | 5 |
Xbox Platforms
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | Dragon’s Dogma II | Capcom USA | 3 |
| 2 | 1 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) | - |
| 3 | NEW | WWE 2K24* | Take-Two Interactive (Corp) | 5 |
| 4 | 7 | EA Sports FC 24 | Electronic Arts | - |
| 5 | 3 | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Electronic Arts | - |
| 6 | 6 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games | - |
| 7 | 20 | Minecraft | Microsoft (Corp) | - |
| 8 | 9 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment | - |
| 9 | 14 | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] | Ubisoft | - |
| 10 | 11 | Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor | Electronic Arts | - |
| 19 | NEW | Unicorn Overlord | Sega | 5 |
Nintendo Platforms
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | Princess Peach: Showtime!* | Nintendo | 3 |
| 2 | NEW | Unicorn Overlord | Sega | 5 |
| 3 | 3 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo | - |
| 4 | 2 | Super Mario Bros Wonder* | Nintendo | - |
| 5 | 1 | Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024)* | Nintendo | - |
| 6 | 4 | Hogwarts Legacy | Warner Bros. Games | - |
| 7 | 5 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo | - |
| 8 | 9 | Minecraft* | Nintendo | - |
| 9 | 6 | Just Dance 2024 Edition | Ubisoft | - |
| 10 | 8 | Pokemon: Scarlet/Violet* | Nintendo | - |
Monthly Active User Engagement
Top 10 Games Played on PlayStation 5 Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)
Top 10 Games Played on PlayStation 5 Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fortnite | Epic Games |
| 2 | 2 | Call of Duty HQ* | Activision |
| 3 | 3 | Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) | Rockstar Games |
| 4 | 4 | NBA 2K24 | 2K Sports |
| 5 | 7 | Helldivers II | Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios |
| 6 | 5 | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Electronic Arts |
| 7 | 6 | Roblox | Roblox Corporation |
| 8 | 8 | Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (Sony) | Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. |
| 9 | 151 | Sifu | Sloclap |
| 10 | 10 | Minecraft | Mojang Studios, Xbox Game Studios |
Top 10 Games Played on Xbox Series Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fortnite | Epic Games | - |
| 2 | 2 | Call of Duty HQ* | Activision | - |
| 3 | 5 | Grand Theft Auto V (Remastered) | Rockstar Games | - |
| 4 | 6 | Roblox | Roblox Corporation | - |
| 5 | 7 | Minecraft | Mojang Studios, Xbox Game Studios | - |
| 6 | 4 | Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] | Electronic Arts | - |
| 7 | 11 | NBA 2K24 | 2K Sports | - |
| 8 | 9 | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy's] | Ubisoft Entertainment SA | - |
| 9 | 8 | Dead Island 2 | Deep Silver | - |
| 10 | NEW | MLB: The Show 24 | MLB Advanced Media, L.P., Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. | 3 |
Top 10 Games Played on Steam Ranked by Monthly Active Users (US)
| Rank | Prior Month | Game | Publisher | Weeks in Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Helldivers II | Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios | - |
| 2 | 3 | Counter-Strike 2 | Valve | - |
| 3 | 5 | Baldur's Gate III | Larian Studios | - |
| 4 | 19 | Balatro | PlayStack | - |
| 5 | 14 | Rainbow Six: Siege [Tom Clancy’s] | Ubisoft Entertainment SA | - |
| 6 | NEW | Dragon's Dogma II | Capcom CO., LTD | 3 |
| 7 | 54 | Stardew Valley | Chucklefish | - |
| 8 | 7 | Last Epoch | Eleventh Hour Games | - |
| 9 | 8 | Rocket League | Psyonix | - |
| 10 | 10 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. | - |
Rankings
Units: PS5 > NSW > XBS
Revenue: PS5 > XBS > NSW
Updates
PS5 Digital = 39% of PS5 sales this month
Xbox Series X = just over 50% of Xbox Series sales life to date
Thanks Mat Piscatella!
NPD Archives
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