October 2023 total U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware, and accessories fell 5% when compared to last year, to $4 billion, Circana reports. Declines were experienced across all categories of spending. The dip was partially driven by the shift in timing for the Call of Duty release. Last year’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II launched in October, while Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III was released in the November 2023 tracking period. 2023 year-to-date spending was 2% higher than a year ago, at $43.4 billion.
Spending on video game content in October fell 4% when compared to last year, to $3.6 billion. Growth in physical console software and mobile spending was offset by declines in other areas, particularly digital premium downloads partially driven by the release date shift of Call of Duty.
Video game hardware spending fell 23% when compared to a year ago, to $327 million. All current generation consoles experienced a double-digit percentage decline in dollar sales when compared to a year ago.
PlayStation 5 remained the best-selling hardware platform in both unit and dollar sales during October 2023. Xbox Series ranked second in dollar sales, while Switch was second in units. Year-to-date hardware spending was 6% higher when compared to the same period in 2022, at $4 billion.
October 2023 accessories spending fell 2% when compared to a year ago, to $147 million. The PS5 Dual Sense Wireless Controller Midnight Black was the month’s best-selling accessory in consumer spending.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was the best-selling game of October 2023, instantly becoming the fourth best-selling game of 2023 year to date. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also led all titles in physical software dollar sales during October. Launch month dollar sales of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 exceeded those of September 2018’s Marvel’s Spider-Man by a double-digit percentage.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder debuted as the No. 2 best-selling game of October. Roblox was released on PlayStation platforms during October and ranked fourth across all titles on PlayStation 5 in U.S. monthly active users, according to Circana’s Player Engagement Tracker, trailing only Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Fortnite, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR OCTOBER 2023
1. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Sony Corp.)
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo)
3. Assassin’s Creed: Mirage (Ubisoft)
4. Madden NFL 24 (Electronic Arts)
5. EA Sports FC 24 (Electronic Arts)
6. Mortal Kombat 1 (Warner Bros. Games)
7. UFC 5 (Electronic Arts)
8. NHL 24 (Electronic Arts)
9. Sonic Superstars (Sega)
10. Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games)
In mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games based on U.S. consumer spending in October 2023 as Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Pokémon Go, Coin Master, Jackpot Party — Casino Slots, Gardenscapes, Township, and Clash of Clans.
“U.S. mobile gaming spend in October 2023 showed a modest increase (2.1%) compared to October 2022. The top six games remain unchanged, as Monopoly Go!’s U.S. revenue seems to have finally stabilized (at a velocity considerably higher than its competitors). There were a few shuffles in the bottom four of the list, but the highlight this month is Clash of Clans, which jumped up eight places to take the No. 10 spot,” says Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “Clash of Clans showed the most U.S. revenue growth month over month of any mobile game in October 2023. The fact that Clash of Clans has cracked this top 10 list over 10 years after its launch is a testament to the longevity of this Supercell classic. This growth was driven primarily by an update bringing fresh new content and progression to Clash of Clans players, combined with a Halloween event.”
