Following post-pandemic supply chain shortages, the video game industry is finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Circana reported year-to-date hardware spending in April 2023 was 18% higher when compared to the same period in 2022, at $1.8 billion.
April video game hardware spending grew 7% when compared year over year, to $367 million. This is the highest video game hardware spend for an April month since the $420 million peak in April 2020, at the onset of the pandemic.
PlayStation 5 was the best-selling hardware platform in dollar sales during April, while the Nintendo Switch led the market in units sold. PlayStation 5 leads the 2023 hardware market year-to-date across both units and dollars.
While an increase in hardware sales is excellent news for the industry, total spending across all categories did not follow suit. Year-to-date consumer spending on video game content, hardware, and accessories fell 2% when compared to the same period in 2022, to $17.7 billion.
Consumer spending on video game content, hardware, and accessories reached $4.1 billion in April, a 5% drop when compared to last year. A 6% decline in April spending on video game content offset a 7% growth in hardware. Accessories spending during April remained flat at $158 million.
In gaming, four of the top 10 games in April 2023 were new releases, including Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor and Dead Island 2. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was the best-selling premium game of April 2023, instantly becoming the 4th best-selling game of 2023 year-to-date. Dead Island 2 debuted as the second best-selling premium game of April 2023, ranking 6th in year-to-date dollar sales.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR APRIL 2023
1. Star Wars: Jedi: Survivor (Electronic Arts)
2. Dead Island 2 (Plaion)
3. MLB: The Show 23 (multiple video game manufacturers)
4. Resident Evil 4 (2023) (Capcom USA)
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) (Activision Blizzard)
6. Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. Interactive)
7. PGA Tour (Electronic Arts)
8. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Capcom USA)
9. FIFA 23 (Electronic Arts)
10. Mario Kart 8 (Nintendo)
In mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in April as Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, Royal Match, Coin Master, Gardenscapes, Evony, Township, Jackpot Party, Homescapes, and Bingo Blitz, while Pokémon Go fell out of the top 10 for the first time since April of last year.
Video game properties continue to inspire a host of licensed products in the toy department and new deals are expected to be unveiled next month at Licensing Expo. For a preview of what retailers can expect to see in the months ahead, check out The Toy Book’s 2023 Licensing & Entertainment issue, out June 13.
