In the United States, Sony’s console beat the Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch to take the top spot on the shelves.

NPD Group’s September analysis also comes from Mat Piscatella. Total spending in September this year was $4.1 billion, which, while it sounds like a lot, is still a 4% drop compared to a year earlier. The best performing segment was hardware, which might be starting to overcome inventory shortages, as it was up 19% from last year’s figure after saw double-digit increases in July and August.

The month was led by the PlayStation 5 among consoles in both units sold and dollar sales. In terms of dollars, the Xbox Series took second place, but in terms of units sold, the Nintendo Switch came in second. For gaming content, there was a 7% decline compared to September 2021 (but still $3.4 billion in sales), but the double-digit growth in non-mobile subscriber spending dragged down all other segments. There was no change in accessories (controllers, that sort of thing, $174 million), so for the first time since October last year, there was no mention of a decline. More controllers were bought, but fewer headsets/headphones were sold. Most sales (and revenue) were for the carbon black Xbox wireless controller. Spending in the mobile market was down 5% from September last year, and the share of spending in mobile apps fell to 54% from 60% then.

September is typically a slowdown for the gaming industry, but NPD says this year’s drop is much sharper (a 40% drop in hypercasual games compared to a year earlier, but also a 3% drop overall, and the lowest install numbers since February 2019). Finally, here is the top list of games:

Overall September list:

1. FIFA 23
2. Madden NFL 23
3. NBA 2K23 (digital sales not included)
4. Splatoon 3 (digital sales not included)
5. The Last of Us Part I
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
7. Saints Row reboot
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War
9. Elden Ring
10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (digital sales not included)

Xbox:

1. Madden NFL 23
2. FIFA 23
3. NBA 2K23 (digital sales not included)
4. Saints Row reboot
5. Elden Ring
6. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War
9. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
10. Call of Duty: Vanguard

PlayStation:

1. FIFA 23
2. Madden NFL 23
3. NBA 2K23 (digital sales not included)
4. The Last of Us Part I
5. Saints Row reboot
6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
7. Elden Ring
8. Horizon II: Forbidden West
9. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
10. Gran Turismo 7

Nintendo (games marked with an asterisk do not include digital sales):

1. Splatoon 3*
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*
4. Super Smash Bros.
5. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons* 6.
7. Nintendo Switch Sports*
8. Pokémon Legends: Arceus*
9. the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
10. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

Combined list for the last 12 months:

1. Elden Ring
2. Call of Duty: Vanguard
3. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
4. Pokémon Brilliant Diamons/Shining Pearl*
5. Battlefield 2042
6. Madden NFL 23
7. Far Cry 6
8. Madden NFL 22
9. Pokémon Legends: Arceus*
10. Horizon II: Forbidden West

This year’s overall top list:

1. Elden Ring
2. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
3. Madden NFL 23
4. Pokémon Legends: Arceus
5. Horizon II: Forbidden West
6. MLB The Show 22 (Xbox/Nintendo sales not included)
7. Call of Duty: Vanguard
8. Gran Turismo 7
9. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
10. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe*

Source: WCCFTech