As is customary, The NPD Group’s Mat Piscatella has relayed the company’s monthly report of video game spending habits in the U.S via Twitter today, which shows that Xbox that has come away as a big winner in June. The console was not only the best-selling hardware platform in dollar sales for the month but set a new record in the process, besting the Xbox platform’s previous high set in June 2011.
Total unit sales, however, were once again led by Nintendo Switch (it is the overall leader for the first half of 2021 in both dollar and unit sales), while PlayStation 5 remains the fastest unit selling console hardware platform in U.S. history (lifetime sales through 8 months in the market, excluding portables).
Below are excerpts from Piscatella’s report across key industry segments:
Hardware
- Hardware dollar sales increased 112% when compared to a year ago as PlayStation, Switch and Xbox console sales all gained. June 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories grew 5% when compared to a year ago, totaling $4.9 billion. First half 2021 consumer spending reached $28.9 billion, a 15% increase when compared to the same period in 2020.
- June video game hardware dollar sales jumped 112% when compared to June 2020, to $401M. This is the highest total achieved in a June month since 2008 ($617M). Year-to-date hardware consumer spending has increased 45% compared to 2020’s first half, to $2.3B.
Software
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart debuted as June’s best-selling game, achieving the highest launch month dollar sales of any title in franchise history. Launch month dollar sales more than doubled those of the previous high, set by Ratchet & Clank in April 2016.
- Mario Golf: Super Rush launched as the 3rd best-selling game of June 2021. Launch month dollar sales were the highest ever achieved by a Mario Golf game. The previous high was set by Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, which launched for the Nintendo GameCube in July 2003.
- Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 jumped from #51 in May to rank 17th on the June best-selling titles chart. The Switch version of the game was released in the U.S. during the month, accounting for most of the gains.
- The June release of the A Pirate’s Life content update helped push Sea of Thieves up from 36th a month ago back into the top 20 best-seller’s chart. Sea of Thieves originally launched in March 2018.
Accessories
- June 2021 spending on video game accessories fell 1% compared to a year ago, to $207 million. First half accessory sales reached $1.2 billion, an increase of 14% when compared to the same period in 2020.
- Sony’s DualSense Wireless Controller Midnight Black was the best-selling accessory of June 2021, while the DualSense Wireless Controller White led in first-half sales. Three of the top 4 best-selling accessories of June were DualSense Wireless Controllers.
The below slideshow features data on the best-selling software in March and year-to-date.
To compare this month’s results to April, it’s here.
About the author
