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Consumer spending on video games reached $4.1 billion in August. According to industry-tracking firm The NPD Group, spending is comparable to 2020 levels, and hardware sales are also on the rise. As for games, Madden 23 and Saints Row have both topped the charts in their debut month, while Marvel’s Spider-Man has gotten a boost thanks to its PC launch.
| August 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions | August 2021 | August 2022 | Change |
| Total Video Game Sales | $4,307 | $4,104 | -5% |
| Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR) platforms) | $3,812 | $3,591 | -6% |
| Video Game Hardware | $329 | $375 | 14% |
| Video Game Accessories | $167 | $138 | -18% |
“August 2022 consumer spending across video game hardware, content and accessories declined 5% when compared to a year ago, to $4.10 billion,” said NPD analyst Mat Piscatella. “This total is slightly higher than the $4.07 billion total reached during the August 2020 tracking period.”
While 2022 continues to be a less spendy year than 2021, figures are comparable to spending in 2020. In fact, it’s slightly higher. It’s not good, by any metric: Most sales are down, including mobile sales. Hardware sales, on the other hand, have gone up by 14%. This is likely because of improved console availability.
| Year-to-Date 2022 Dollar Sales, Millions | YTD 2021 | YTD 2022 | Change |
| Total Video Game Sales | $38,196 | $34,601 | -9% |
| Video Game Content (Physical & Digital Full Game, DLC/MTX and Subscription consumer spending across Console, Cloud, Mobile*, Portable, PC and VR) platforms) | $33,592 | $30,353 | -10% |
| Video Game Hardware | $2,997 | $2,869 | -4% |
| Video Game Accessories | $1,607 | $1,379 | -14% |
Piscatella added: “Year-to-date spending through August 2022 totaled $34.6 billion, a 9% drop when compared to the same period in 2021, but 3% higher than the $33.5 billion achieved during the 2020 comparable period.”
August 2022 NPD: Top 20 best-selling games of the month in the U.S.
NPD tracks physical sales at retailers, but it also gets digital data directly from publishers. Not every company participates. For example, Nintendo doesn’t share its first-party sales, and Activision Blizzard does not provide its Battle.net sales.
These charts are sorted by dollar sales — not number of units sold. And this is for full-game sales and does not include in-game spending.
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
| 2 | NEW | Saints Row (2022) | Plaion |
| 3 | 84 | Marvel’s Spider-Man | Sony (Corp) |
| 4 | 2 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 5 | 1 | MultiVersus# | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 6 | 7 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 7 | 9 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 8 | 3 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 9 | 6 | MLB: The Show 22^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 10 | 4 | Xenoblade Chronicles 3* | Nintendo |
| 11 | 8 | Digimon Survive | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 12 | 28 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
| 13 | 5 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 14 | 18 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 15 | NEW | Soul Hackers 2 | Atlus |
| 16 | 12 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 17 | 31 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
| 18 | 11 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 19 | 24 | The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 20 | 15 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
^Xbox & Switch digital sales not included
#Founder’s Pack Edition sales only
The charts in August show the biggest shake-up in months. Elden Ring and LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga have been holding strong at the top of the charts since their respective releases, but now they’ve ceded the top to multiple games. One of those is the new Saints Row reboot, which is putting in a good showing on its debut month. Another new game that managed to chart is Soul Hackers 2, Atlus’s latest RPG.
In addition to the new games, several other older games have made a comeback on the charts in recent months. These include Skyrim and Gran Turismo 7. Horizon II: Forbidden West also made the charts, likely due to summer sales discounts. Last month’s new releases, including Digimon Survive, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and MultiVersus have managed to remain on the charts.
Madden NFL 23 comes in hot
The latest game in the Madden NFL series has snagged the top spot, to the surprise of no one. According to Piscatella, this is the 23rd consecutive year that a Madden NFL title topped the charts in its launch month. Madden NFL 22 is still charting on the best-selling games lists of the year, so it’s not a surprise its successor is also putting in a good showing. Chances are good this title will become a fixture on the charts for the rest of the year.
Marvel’s Spider-Man swings back with a PC launch
Another game that’s made a major comeback is Marvel’s Spider-Man — which went from 84th place to 3rd. There’s no mystery behind this: The game launched on Steam and the Epic Games Store in August. Piscatella also noted that it was August’s best-seller across Steam’s tracked titles.
August 2022 NPD: 20 best-selling games of 2022 so far
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 2 | 2 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 3 | 3 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 4 | 4 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
| 5 | NEW | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
| 6 | 5 | MLB: The Show 22^ | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 7 | 6 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 8 | 7 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
| 9 | 8 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 9 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 11 | 11 | Minecraft | Multiple Video Game Manufacturers |
| 12 | 10 | Madden NFL 22 | Electronic Arts |
| 13 | 12 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
| 14 | 13 | FIFA 22 | Electronic Arts |
| 15 | 14 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (Corp) |
| 16 | 16 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 17 | 15 | Monster Hunter: Rise | Capcom USA |
| 18 | 17 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
| 19 | 18 | Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 20 | 19 | Mario Party Superstars* | Nintendo |
^Xbox & Switch digital sales not included
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling games of the last 12 months
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
All Platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 2 | 2 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 3 | 3 | Madden NFL 22 | Electronic Arts |
| 4 | 5 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 5 | 4 | Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl* | Nintnedo |
| 6 | 6 | Battlefield 2042 | Electronic Arts |
| 7 | 8 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 8 | 7 | FIFA 22 | Electronic Arts |
| 9 | 9 | Pokémon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 10 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Nintendo-platform games in the U.S.
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
Nintendo Platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | 2 | Mario Kart 8* | Nintendo |
| 2 | 1 | Xenoblade Chronicles 3* | Nintendo |
| 3 | 4 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate* | Nintendo |
| 4 | 3 | Kirby and the Forgotten Land* | Nintendo |
| 5 | 6 | Pokemon Legends: Arceus* | Nintendo |
| 6 | 5 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons* | Nintendo |
| 7 | 7 | Nintendo Switch Sports* | Nintendo |
| 8 | 9 | Digimon Survive | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 9 | 14 | The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* | Nintendo |
| 10 | 12 | Minecraft* | Nintendo |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling PlayStation-platform games in the U.S.
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
PlayStation Platform | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
| 2 | NEW | Saints Row (2022) | Plaion |
| 3 | 6 | Horizon II: Forbidden West | Sony (Corp) |
| 4 | 2 | MLB: The Show 22 | Sony (Corp) |
| 5 | 8 | Gran Turismo 7 | Sony (Corp) |
| 6 | 1 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 7 | 10 | Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | Sony (Corp) |
| 8 | 5 | Minecraft | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 9 | 4 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 10 | NEW | Soul Hackers 2 | Atlus |
August 2022 NPD: Top 10 best-selling Xbox-platform games in the U.S.
| Rank | Last Month Rank |
Xbox Platforms | Publisher |
| 1 | NEW | Madden NFL 23 | Electronic Arts |
| 2 | NEW | Saints Row (2022) | Plaion |
| 3 | 11 | Far Cry 6 | Ubisoft |
| 4 | 2 | Elden Ring | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| 5 | 1 | Multiversus# | Warner Bros. Interactive |
| 6 | 3 | Call of Duty: Vanguard | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 7 | 8 | Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 8 | 10 | Forza Horizon 5 | Microsoft (Corp) |
| 9 | 7 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | Activision Blizzard (Corp) |
| 10 | 5 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | Warner Bros. Interactive |
#Founder’s Pack Edition sales only
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