November saw the worst hardware and software sales in the US since 1995, with a 27% drop in spending and significant declines across all major consoles, largely due to rising prices and economic factors, signaling a challenging period for the gaming industry.
November 2025 saw the worst U.S. video game hardware and physical software sales since 1995, with declines across the board due to high prices and economic factors, though some affordable devices like the NEX Playground performed well. The industry faces potential challenges if hardware prices continue to rise, impacting future sales and market health.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently outselling Mario Kart World in the US, with the former rising in sales rankings despite the Nintendo Switch's larger user base and digital sales not being included.
Amazon Prime Day offers significant discounts on a wide range of gaming products including video games, consoles, PC components, VR headsets, and gaming peripherals, making it a great opportunity to upgrade your gaming setup at reduced prices.
Despite a 66% drop in physical sales compared to its predecessor, Death Stranding 2 still managed to outsell Mario Kart World in the UK, highlighting the ongoing decline of boxed game sales and the shift towards digital distribution, with overall physical sales down significantly and market dynamics changing over recent years.
The Sonic the Hedgehog series continues to perform well, with recent titles like Sonic x Shadow Generations selling over 2.3 million copies, and other entries like Sonic Frontiers surpassing 3.2 million. Historically, the series has seen varying success, with some titles like Sonic Colors and Sonic Adventure selling over 4 million copies, demonstrating the franchise's enduring popularity.
Sony's Days of Play sale offers significant discounts on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles, games, accessories, and subscriptions until June 12th. Highlights include $50 off PS5 consoles, $100 off PSVR 2, and up to 85% off select games. PlayStation Plus members can also get 12 months of Netflix Premium for free with certain purchases.
The Alone in the Dark reboot failed to meet sales expectations, leading to layoffs at Embracer Group. Despite featuring high-profile actors, the game struggled to attract players, peaking at 1,628 concurrent users on Steam. Embracer has faced significant financial challenges, including the collapse of a $2 billion deal and the closure of several studios. While some titles like Tomb Raider I-III Remastered performed well, others like Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection received negative reviews. Embracer plans to release over 70 game projects by March 2025.
Fallout 4 has surged to the No.1 position in European game sales, with a remarkable 7,500% increase, likely due to discounts coinciding with the popular Fallout TV show on Amazon Prime. The majority of sales were on PC, and other Fallout titles also saw increased sales, with Fallout 76 at No.8, Fallout: New Vegas at No.9, and Fallout 3 at No.10. The Fallout Classic Collection, Fallout 2, and Fallout also made appearances further down the charts.
Rise of the Ronin, a PS5 exclusive, continues to perform well in the Japanese sales charts, selling an additional 12,000 copies and reaching a total of 97,000 physical sales. The PS5 is also on track to surpass 6 million units sold, outpacing the PS4. The charts are still dominated by Nintendo Switch titles, with Princess Peach: Showtime! leading in software sales and the Switch OLED Model leading in hardware sales.
Masayoshi Yokoyama, director of Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, expresses surprise at the strong early sales of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, as the series typically sells slowly over time due to word of mouth. The game shipped one million copies within its first week, a rate Yokoyama wasn't expecting, as the series historically gains traction gradually. VGC's review praises the game as "the series at its very best" and "one of the best RPGs we've played in years."
Video game sales in the UK during February 2024 saw a 5.5% drop compared to the previous year, with Helldivers 2 emerging as the top-selling game, showing impressive sales growth week-over-week. However, Skull and Bones and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League did not perform as strongly as expected. PS5 led console sales, while accessories sales saw a decline over January but an increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Hogwarts Legacy maintains its position as the top-selling game of 2023 with 22 million copies sold, narrowly beating Tears of the Kingdom's 20.28 million copies. Despite being released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, Tears of the Kingdom's sales are considered impressive. Warner Bros. hints at upcoming content and updates for Hogwarts Legacy, while also teasing the standalone game Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions. The company expresses interest in pursuing live service and engagement in future games, potentially indicating a shift towards microtransactions despite the success of Hogwarts Legacy as a standalone, single-player game.
Mortal Kombat 1 and Street Fighter 6 both made it to the top video game sales rankings for 2023 in the United States, with Mortal Kombat 1 finishing 8th overall and Street Fighter 6 showing strong performance. Mortal Kombat 1 remained on the PlayStation 5 list of top monthly users, while Street Fighter 6 did not feature in the monthly positions but performed well in the yearly totals. Both games sold over 3 million units, and their success in 2023 sets the stage for an interesting 2024 with the upcoming release of Tekken 8 and other big titles.
Video game sales in the UK grew by 2.6% in 2023, with EA Sports FC 24, PlayStation 5, and Hogwarts Legacy emerging as major winners. The top-selling games included EA Sports FC 24, Hogwarts Legacy, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, with PlayStation consoles driving the growth in sales. However, accessories sales dropped despite improved console sales, and notable new releases in the top 20 included Assassin's Creed Mirage, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and NBA 2K23.