Circana reported total U.S. video game year-to-date spending in August 2023 was 2% higher than last year at $34.9 billion.
August 2023 U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware, and accessories totaled $4.2 billion, an increase of 3% when compared to August 2022. Growth across both content and accessories spending offset a double-digit percentage decline in hardware spending.
Video game content spending in August 2023 grew 4% when compared to last year, totaling $3.7 billion, while video game hardware spending fell 13% when compared to last year, to $328 million.
PlayStation 5 continued to lead the 2023 hardware market across both units and dollars. Year-to-date hardware spending was 13% higher when compared to the same period in 2022, at $3.2 billion. PlayStation 5 was the best-selling hardware platform in both unit and dollar sales during August 2023, with Xbox Series ranking second across both measures.
Accessories spending in August 2023 grew by 12% when compared to last year, to $159 million. Gamepad spending once again drove the category. 7 of the top 8 best-selling accessories of August 2023 in dollar sales were PlayStation DualSense gamepads, with PlayStation VR2 ranking as the only non-DualSense gamepad appearing among the top 8.
In gaming, Madden NFL 24 was the best-selling game of August 3023, instantly becoming the sixth best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date. This is the 24th consecutive year in which a Madden NFL franchise release was the best-selling title of its launch month. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon was the second best-selling game of August.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR AUGUST 2023
- Madden NFL 24 (Electronic Arts)
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Remnant II (multiple manufacturers)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision Blizzard)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Games)
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo)
- Diablo IV (Activision Blizzard)
- MLB: The Show 23 (multiple manufacturers)
- Minecraft (multiple manufacturers)
- Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo)
In mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in August include Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Pokémon GO, Coin Master, Gardenscapes, Jackpot Party – Casino Slots, Evony, and Homescapes.
“Mobile gaming spending in August 2023 showed a modest increase (2.5%) compared to August 2022,” said Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “The star of this month was Monopoly Go!, whose meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing.”
