Annual U.S. total spending on video game content, hardware, and accessories reached $57.2 billion in 2023, an increase of 1% when compared to 2022, Circana reports. December spending grew 4%, to $7.9 billion.
Video game content spending ended 2023 1% higher than 2022, driven by a 13% increase in digital premium download spending on console platforms.
Video game hardware spending ended 2023 flat when compared to a year ago, at $6.6 billion. Growth in PlayStation 5 hardware dollar sales helped offset declines across both Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch. PlayStation 5 ended 2023 as the best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollars, with Nintendo Switch finishing second across both measures. December hardware spending reached $1.6 billion, an increase of 4% when compared to December 2022.
Accessories spending finished the year 4% higher than a year ago, at $2.6 billion. The PS5 Dual Sense Edge was the best-selling gamepad of 2023 in dollar sales. December 2023 accessories spending was 14% higher than in December 2022, at $584 million.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR DECEMBER 2023
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Activision Blizzard)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)
- Madden NFL 24 (Electronic Arts)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony Corp.)
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (Ubisoft)
- EA Sports FC 24 (Electronic Arts)
- Mortal Kombat 1 (Warner Bros. Games)
- NBA 2K24 (Take 2 Interactive Corp.)
- Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo)
Hogwarts Legacy finished as 2023’s best-selling video game in the U.S. in dollar sales. This is the first year since 2008 that a non-Call of Duty or Rockstar developed title ranked first (Rock Band). Hogwarts Legacy was the best-selling game of the year on PlayStation platforms, ranking second on Xbox platforms, and placing fifth on Nintendo platforms.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was the best-selling game of December and the second best-selling game of 2023. Call of Duty was the best-selling franchise in U.S. full game dollar sales (excluding add-on content) for a record 15th consecutive year.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR 2023
- Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (Activision Blizzard Corp.)
- Madden NFL 24 [EA Sports] (Electronic Arts)
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony Corp.)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Diablo IV (Activision Blizzard Corp.)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Activision Blizzard Corp.)
- Mortal Kombat 1 (Warner Bros. Games)
- Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor (Electronic Arts)
- EA Sports FC 24 (Electronic Arts)
In Mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in December as Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, Coin Master, Evony, Pokémon GO, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Jackpot Party — Casino Slots.
“U.S. mobile gaming consumer spend in December 2023 showed yet another modest increase (2.7%) compared to December 2022. Looking at the top games, while the top four continue to be stable with Monopoly Go! on top, Clash of Clans made a huge run this month, moving up nine ranks,” says Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “Clash of Clans wasn’t the only winner this month, with all the top 10 [games] showing revenue growth in December relative to November.”
Sensor Tower reports the top 10 mobile games by U.S. consumer spending in 2023 are Monopoly Go!, Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, Royal Match, Coin Master, Pokémon GO, Gardenscapes, Jackpot Party — Casino Slots, Township, and Evony.
