The Nintendo Switch continues to prove successful for Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, as the NPD Group has revealed that it was the best-selling console in the U.S. in March 2022 in terms of unit sales, copying its success in Europe. The Xbox Series X/S out-performed the Switch in terms of dollars made, again echoing earlier success in Europe, breaking March records for the platform that have been held since 2011 (for total units sold) and 2014 (dollars made). Spending on gaming, however, is down year on year by 15%.
According to executive director and video game industry advisor for the NPD Group, Mat Piscatella, “March 2022 consumer spending across video game hardware, content, and accessories declined 15%” when compared to spending in March 2021. In total, $4.9 billion was spent on gaming in March 2022, compared to $5.7 billion in March 2021. Total first-quarter spending is down year on year by 8%, too, to $13.9 billion despite the success of the Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
It’s suggested that continued hardware shortages for all platforms are driving fewer sales. The general opening up of society following several lockdowns and pandemic unease could have led to spending on more outdoor activities, such as restaurant dining, too.
Elden Ring was the best-selling game of March 2022 and remains top of the list for 2022 after selling an impressive 12 million copies in under a month. Gran Turismo 7 is in second place, setting “a new all-time launch month dollar sales record” for the series and performing well in download sales. Kirby and the Forgotten Land, meanwhile, took third place.
