Nintendo Switch Was the Best-Selling Console in the US in 2022, Report
We are over two weeks into 2023, and NPD Group finally revealed insights into the gaming industry in 2022. The NPD Group is a well-known retail data analysis company that has been recording games’ sales data since 1995. It not only publishes monthly updates regarding the gaming industry but also shares a compressive yearly sales report, and 2022 was no different.
According to the NPD Group’s latest report, Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in 2022 in the US, leaving Sony’s PlayStation 5 (second spot) and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S (third spot) behind. Even after five years of its release, Nintendo Switch has shown no sign of stopping and continues to perform exceptionally on the sales chart.
Many factors have contributed to this success, but the primary reason would be the rise of portable gaming consoles and cloud gaming in 2022. We have seen successful gaming handhelds like Steam Deck dominating the scene in 2022. Still, Nintendo Switch being the most well-known with an extensive game library and successful franchises, took the lead on the sales chart.
It should be noted that The NPD Group does not share the exact sales figures publicly. 2022 was a great year for gaming, with a number of impressive game releases. But Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 took the top spot in the US list of best-selling games of 2022.
US NPD PREMIUM GAMES – 2022 Top 20 Sellers (Dollar Sales, Excludes DLC/MTX) pic.twitter.com/bwWbjMFOou
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 17, 2023
NPD group has also shared the top 10 best-selling games of 2022 and The Game of The Year 2022; Elden Ring was just behind Activision’s Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, which showed jaw-dropping sales in 2022 as it became the best-selling Call of Duty game ever (as acknowledged by Activision).
Overall consumer spending on video games in the United States reached a total of $56.6 billion in 2022. This includes revenues from various content types such as full games, post-launch content, and subscriptions across multiple platforms, including console, cloud, mobile, portable, PC, and VR, as well as hardware and accessories.
2022 spending totaled $56.6B, 5% below 2021 levels despite growth in hardware and subscription content spend. Factors impacting 2022 spending included continued supply constraints of console hardware, a relatively light slate of new premium releases, and macroeconomic conditions. pic.twitter.com/rqXH4Yf7VR
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) January 17, 2023
The data shows that video game sales have stabilized after consecutive record-breaking years in 2020 and 2021. This data was shared by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and The NPD Group.
You can have a look at the complete list of the top 10 best-selling games of 2022 below:
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- Elden Ring
- Madden NFL 23
- God of War: Ragnarök
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Pokémon Scarlet/Violet
- FIFA 23
- Pokémon Legends: Arceus
- Horizon Forbidden West
- MLB The Show 22
So, what are your thoughts about this recent report by The NPD Group? Which games and consoles you bought in 2022? Let us know in the comment section below.
