In April, US consumer spending on video games saw a 3% decline year-over-year, totaling $4.1 billion, according to Circana’s latest US charts. Despite this overall decrease, there were notable shifts and trends within the market.
Top Game Performances
Stellar Blade emerged as the month’s standout title, debuting at No.1 and becoming the 16th best-selling game of 2024 so far. Developed by Shift Up, Stellar Blade was the only new release in April, highlighting its significant impact on the market.
Helldivers 2, despite a 70% drop in sales from March, held steady in second place, demonstrating strong sustained interest.
Rising Stars and Reentries
Sea of Thieves made a remarkable leap from No.55 to No.4, bolstered by its April launch on PlayStation. Similarly, Fallout 4 climbed from No.87 to fifth place, fueled by the popularity of Amazon’s Fallout series. Fallout 4, along with Fallout 76 and New Vegas, were among the most-played games in the US last month, reflecting the franchise’s enduring appeal.
Mobile Gaming Highlights
On the mobile gaming front, Monopoly Go, Royal Match, Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, and Last War Survival led the charts. “Last War: Survival” notably climbed into the Top 5 for US consumer spend, according to Sensor Tower’s Samuel Aune. It was one of only three top-10 mobile games to see month-over-month revenue growth, alongside Candy Crush Saga and Evony.
Financial Overview
Despite the overall decline in consumer spending, spending on game content, including physical and digital games, add-on content, and subscriptions across all platforms, saw a 2% increase, reaching $3.7 billion.
However, hardware sales experienced a significant drop, plunging 43% year-over-year to $208 million. Accessories sales also fell by 4% to $152 million. All console hardware platforms saw at least a 26% decline year-over-year.
Best-Selling Hardware Platforms
Even amidst these declines, the PlayStation 5 maintained its position as the best-selling hardware platform of April, followed by the Nintendo Switch and Xbox.
In summary, while April saw a slight dip in overall US game spending, key releases like Stellar Blade and strong performances from established titles such as Sea of Thieves and Fallout 4 drove significant activity within the market. The continued interest in mobile gaming and specific console platforms suggests a dynamic landscape with diverse consumer preferences.
