Video game sales are essential for multiple reasons. After all, if something doesn’t sell, then there’s no reason to continue it. That goes for gaming franchises and the consoles they’re on. The console market has three major players, especially since a certain “player” has now bowed out of the running. The Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch are the systems that have been selling very well since launch. In terms of markets, the US, the UK, and Japan are where the three publishers seek to get the most significant sales. To that end, in September, all three did well.
New data from the month has shown console sales are up 41% in the UK. That’s a significant number, no matter how you look at it. But wait, there’s more. The software side also had a massive month, as 3.17 million games were sold in the UK. Compared to the previous month in the region, that’s a whopping 81% increase!
Why was there such a bump? Have you ever heard of a game called FIFA 23? The UK is easily one of the biggest buyers of the game, so when it came in September, its sales were guaranteed. Plus, it was the last game of the EA/FIFA collaboration, so that likely drove up game sales as well.
As for how the individual consoles did, the PlayStation 5 was the best-selling system in the region during September. Furthermore, the system is now documented to have reached two million units sold in the area. Their sales would usually be much higher after launch, but systems can’t be churned out at the rate Sony would like due to the semiconductor issue plaguing the world.
The Xbox Series X/S came in second but featured a boost from the previous month of over 100%! That was likely due to FIFA 23, but we can’t say for sure.
Finally, the Nintendo Switch brought up the rear, but it was hardly a “loser.” On the contrary, the system had a 44% boost from August in the UK, plus, they had the major release of Splatoon 3, which was No.4 on the UK sales charts for the month.
All in all, 176,000 consoles were sold during August. Not a bad month, especially when you add in the incredible software sales.
The question now is, “should the UK expect more great sales numbers going forward?” Most would say yes. October is a month that is full of 3rd-party releases, but many of them will sell well. November will be a stacked month as multiple AAA titles will release across the board. Plus, with the holidays coming up, people will be looking for deals for systems and software. So early projections are good.
Source: VGC