Regardless of AAA titles delivering, annual studies present total recreation gross sales dropped 6% in 2022. Console gross sales are additionally down 29% from the earlier yr.
In 2022, online game, console, and accent gross sales have all decreased from the earlier yr. Continued shortages in inventory and lack of blockbuster titles have been cited as the 2 main causes.
Studies from the GSD (Recreation Gross sales Knowledge) present that simply over 34 million video games have been bought this yr, a 6% lower from 2021. For these not acquainted, the GSD is answerable for monitoring recreation gross sales (digital and bodily) from all the highest publishers worldwide.
Solely 14 million video games have been bought from bodily retail shops, whereas the opposite 20 million copies have been obtained from digital shops, proving as soon as extra that digital buy is the popular methodology for avid gamers nowadays.
The market information additionally exhibits that round 14 million of total gross sales have been from new releases, which is definitely a 20% improve when in comparison with final yr.
One shocking element to return out of the report was that despite the fact that avid gamers most popular to purchase their video games digitally these days, digital downloads have been really significantly decrease within the UK in comparison with 2021.
The worldwide COVID-19 lockdowns probably helped the substantial progress in digital downloads throughout 2020 and 2021.
As anticipated, the top-selling video games for 2022 have been as soon as once more FIFA and Name of Obligation franchises. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga completed the yr in third place simply forward of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring.
Another titles to make it onto the highest 20 listing have been God of Warfare Ragnarok, Horizon: Forbidden West, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Grand Theft Auto V and Crimson Useless Redemption 2 additionally positioned sturdy once more this yr.
The Nintendo recreation that bought essentially the most this yr was Nintendo Swap Sports activities, though if the gross sales from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are mixed, the 2 video games technically bought extra.
Relating to console gross sales, the GSD market information confirmed that solely 2 million gaming methods have been bought within the UK throughout 2022, which is a 29% drop in comparison with final yr.
That is principally because of a giant drop in PS5 and Nintendo Swap console gross sales particularly. It’s been nicely documented that Sony’s PS5 gross sales have been impaired by inventory shortages for almost all of the yr. Gross sales of Nintendo Swap additionally dropped dramatically, regardless of this the hand-held console nonetheless completed the yr as the most well-liked console total.
Xbox Collection S and X once more see themselves ending in third place for the yr. Similar to the PS5 although, the Xbox Collection X additionally noticed gross sales undergo attributable to a scarcity of provide.
Ultimately, there have been lower than 60,000 items separating the three consoles in whole gross sales, making 2022 one of many closest years in current reminiscence.
So far as accent gross sales have been involved, over 9 million controllers, headphones, and different equipment have been bought in the UK in 2022, which can also be a lower in comparison with the yr earlier than.
Under are the best-selling video video games (each boxed and digital) within the UK throughout yr 2022:
1. FIFA 23
2. Name of Obligation: Trendy Warfare 2
3. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
4. Elden Ring
5. Grand Theft Auto 5
6. God of Warfare Ragnarok
7. FIFA 22
8. Horizon: Forbidden West
9. Crimson Useless Redemption 2
10. Nintendo Swap Sports activities*
11. Pokémon Legends: Arceus*
12. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe*
13. Gran Turismo 7
14. Pokémon Violet*
15. WWE 2K22
16. F1 22
17. Pokémon Scarlet*
18. Minecraft: Nintendo Swap Version*
19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
20. Sonic Frontiers