Sales of physical and digital video games, hardware and accessories declined in March for the fifth consecutive month, according to new data from The NPD Group. The Port Washington, N.Y.-based research firm said total sales dropped 15% to $4.85 billion
Overall sales slid 15% to $4.853 billion, from $5.7 billion in the previous-year period. The decline is more than double February’s 6% drop, preceded by a 2% dip in January.
Hardware revenue plummeted 24% to $515 million, from $677 million last year. For the first quarter, ended March 31, total hardware revenue declined 15%, $1.2 billion from $1.4 billion. Microsoft’s Xbox Series was the best-selling platform, while the Nintendo Switch again topped all devices in unit sales.
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Accessory sales dropped 23% to $227 million from almost $295 million. In Q1, accessories tallied $592 million, down 16% from almost $705 million. The best-selling accessory remained the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller.
Game sales fell 13% to $4.11 billion, from $4.72 billion. For the first three months, revenue dropped 7% to $13.9 billion, from $14.94 billion. The top-selling title was Bandai’s Elden Ring, which is now the No. 2 best-selling title over the past 12 months behind Activision’s Call of Duty: Vanguard.