The U.S. gaming {industry} completed sturdy in 2022 regardless of it being an otherwise slow year, in accordance with industry-tracking agency The NPD Group. While the year general was down barely — according to the widespread view that 2022 is a “bust” corrective year following the pandemic increase — spending on {hardware} and subscriptions boosted sales to a slight year-over-year improve for December.

December 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions Dec
2021		 Dec
2022		 Change
Total Video Game Sales $7,428 $7,583 2%
Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription client spending throughout Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms) $5,597 $5,547 -1%
Video Game Hardware $1,319 $1,533 16%
Video Game Accessories $512 $503 -2%
*Mobile spending offered by Sensor Tower

“U.S. consumer spending on video game content, hardware and accessories totaled $7.6 billion in December 2022, an increase of 2% when compared to a year ago,” mentioned NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “Video game hardware spending grew 16%, offsetting declines in both content (-1%) and accessories (-2%).”

In addition to the month-to-month sales, NPD additionally offered its year-end statistics, together with sales figures for particular person video games in 2022. Total recreation sales for 2022 have been down 5% from 2021, a smaller distinction than the corporate has recorded in earlier months. Hardware sales really improved in 2022, which means that the provision chain points from earlier within the year have eased.

2022 Dollar Sales, Millions 2021 2022 Change
Total Video Game Sales $59,620 $56,556 -5%
Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription client spending throughout Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR platforms) $50,833 $47,475 -7%
Video Game Hardware $6,060 $6,570 8%
Video Game Accessories $2,726 $2,511 -8%
*Mobile spending offered by Sensor Tower

Piscatella added, “The December growth brought full year 2022 spending to $56.6 billion, 5% below 2021 levels. Gains in spending in hardware and subscription content were offset by declines across other areas of spending. Factors impacting 2022 spending included continued supply constraints of console hardware, a relatively light slate of new premium releases, and macroeconomic conditions.”

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December 2022 NPD: Top 20 best-selling video games of the month within the U.S.

NPD tracks bodily sales at retailers, but it surely additionally will get digital information immediately from publishers. Not each firm participates. For instance, Nintendo doesn’t share its first-party sales and Activision Blizzard doesn’t present its Battle.web sales.

These charts are sorted by greenback sales — not variety of items bought. And that is for full-game sales and doesn’t embrace in-game spending.

Rank Last
Month
Rank		 All Platforms Publisher
1 1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 3 Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet* Nintendo
3 2 God of War: Ragnarök Sony (Corp)
4 5 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
5 6 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
6 4 Sonic Frontiers Sega
7 11 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
8 NEW Need for Speed: Unbound Electronic Arts
9 13 Mario Kart 8* Nintendo
10 NEW Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Reunion Square Enix Inc (Corp)
11 7 NBA 2K23* Take 2 Interactive (Corp)
12 27 Just Dance 2023 Edition Ubisoft
13 14 Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Ubisoft
14 18 Minecraft Multiple Video Game Manufacturers
15 21 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* Nintendo
16 25 Nintendo Switch Sports* Nintendo
17 NEW The Callisto Protocol* Krafton Games Union
18 12 Animal Crossing: New Horizons* Nintendo
19 24 Splatoon 3* Nintendo
20 8 Gotham Knights Warner Bros. Interactive
*Digital sales not included

The record of best-selling video games — each for the month and the year (see under) — don’t actually comprise any nice surprises this month. Several video games have jumped again onto the record thanks partially to vacation sales and heavy-hitting franchises like Pokémon and Call of Duty proceed to high the record. November releases, Sonic Frontiers and God of War Ragnarök, each proceed to chart nicely.

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Out of the brand new video games launched in December, Need for Speed Unbound has charted the very best, beating out Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion possible as a result of latter’s console exclusivity. The Callisto Protocol additionally managed to make the charts. Despite releasing throughout the tail finish of the year, the title launched with out a lot competitors.

Recently, Ubisoft introduced that it was chopping again on recreation growth, canceling three unannounced titles. One of the components it cited in these measures was the beneath efficiency of its late 2022 titles, particularly Just Dance 2023 and Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope. Both titles managed to make the best-sellers record for December, possible partially due to vacation sales.

December 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Nintendo-platform video games within the U.S.

Rank Last
Month
Rank		 Nintendo Platforms Publisher
1 1 Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet* Nintendo
2 5 Mario Kart 8* Nintendo
3 6 Mario+Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Ubisoft
4 11 Just Dance 2023 Edition Ubisoft
5 2 Sonic Frontiers Sega
6 8 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* Nintendo
7 10 Nintendo Switch Sports* Nintendo
8 4 Animal Crossing: New Horizons* Nintendo
9 9 Splatoon 3* Nintendo
10 19 Kirby and the Forgotten Land* Nintendo
*Digital sales not included

December 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling PlayStation-platform video games within the U.S.

Rank Last
Month
Rank		 PlayStation Platforms Publisher
1 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 1 God of War: Ragnarök Sony (Corp)
3 3 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
4 4 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
5 NEW Need for Speed: Unbound Electronic Arts
6 NEW Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Reunion Square Enix Inc (Corp)
7 6 NBA 2K23* Take 2 Interactive (Corp)
8 11 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
9 5 Sonic Frontiers Sega
10 NEW The Callisto Protocol* Krafton Games Union
*Digital sales not included

December 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Xbox-platform video games within the U.S.

Rank Last
Month
Rank		 Xbox Platforms Publisher
1 1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 2 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
3 3 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
4 NEW Need for Speed: Unbound Electronic Arts
5 8 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
6 6 NBA 2K23* Take 2 Interactive (Corp)
7 4 Sonic Frontiers Sega
8 5 Gotham Knights Warner Bros. Interactive
9 7 NHL 23 Electronic Arts
10 9 Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft (Corp)
*Digital sales not included

Full-year 2022 NPD: 20 best-selling video games of 2022

Rank Last
Month
Rank		 All Platforms Publisher
1 1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 2 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
3 3 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
4 5 God of War: Ragnarök Sony (Corp)
5 4 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Warner Bros. Interactive
6 7 Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet* Nintendo
7 9 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
8 6 Pokémon Legends: Arceus* Nintendo
9 8 Horizon II: Forbidden West Sony (Corp)
10 10 MLB: The Show 22^ Multiple Video Game Manufacturers
11 13 Mario Kart 8* Nintendo
12 11 Call of Duty: Vanguard Activision Blizzard (Corp)
13 12 Gran Turismo 7 Sony (Corp)
14 14 Kirby and the Forgotten Land* Nintendo
15 17 NBA 2K23* Take 2 Interactive (Corp)
16 23 Sonic Frontiers Sega
17 15 Gotham Knights Warner Bros. Interactive
18 16 Minecraft Multiple Video Game Manufacturers
19 18 Nintendo Switch Sports* Nintendo
20 22 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* Nintendo
*Digital sales not included
^Xbox & Switch digital sales not included

Full-year 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling video games on Nintendo platforms

Rank Nintendo Platforms Publisher
1 Pokémon: Scarlet/Violet* Nintendo
2 Pokémon Legends: Arceus* Nintendo
3 Mario Kart 8* Nintendo
4 Kirby and the Forgotten Land* Nintendo
5 Nintendo Switch Sports* Nintendo
6 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* Nintendo
7 Animal Crossing: New Horizons* Nintendo
8 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Warner Bros. Interactive
9 Mario Party Superstars* Nintendo
20 Splatoon 3* Nintendo
*Digital sales not included

Full-year 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling video games on PlayStation platforms

Rank PlayStation Platforms Publisher
1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 God of War: Ragnarök Sony (Corp)
3 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
4 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
5 Horizon II: Forbidden West Sony (Corp)
6 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
7 MLB: The Show 22 Sony (Corp)
8 Gran Turismo 7 Sony (Corp)
9 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Warner Bros. Interactive
10 Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Sony (Corp)
*Digital sales not included

Full-year 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling video games on Xbox platforms

Rank Xbox Platforms Publisher
1 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) Activision Blizzard (Corp)
2 Elden Ring Bandai Namco Entertainment
3 Madden NFL 23 Electronic Arts
4 LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Warner Bros. Interactive
5 FIFA 23 Electronic Arts
6 Call of Duty: Vanguard Activision Blizzard (Corp)
7 Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War Activision Blizzard (Corp)
8 Gotham Knights Warner Bros. Interactive
9 Forza Horizon 5 Microsoft (Corp)
10 Saints Row (2022) Plaion
*Digital sales not included

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