March Spend Down 15% to $4.9 Billion, Q1 Down 8% to $13.9 Billion: US Monthly Charts

The United States video game market experienced a notable contraction during the first quarter of 2022, with total spending falling 8% year-on-year to $13.9 billion. This downward trend was particularly pronounced in March 2022, which saw a 15% decline in total spending to $4.9 billion compared to the same period in 2021. Data provided by The NPD Group indicates that all primary industry segments—software, hardware, and accessories—recorded year-on-year decreases for both the month of March and the first quarter as a whole.

Software spending dropped 13% to $4.1 billion in March, despite a high volume of new releases. Elden Ring maintained its position as the best-selling game of the month and the year-to-date, successfully fending off several new titles, including Gran Turismo 7 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Hardware spending also faced significant pressure, declining 24% to $515 million for the month. While the Xbox Series X|S led the market in dollar sales, the Nintendo Switch remained the leader in unit sales.

The accessories market followed the broader trend, with spending falling 23% to $227 million in March. Additionally, mobile gaming revenue, tracked by Sensor Tower, decreased by 12% year-on-year, driven by a 25% decline in Google Play spending that offset stable performance on the iOS App Store. These figures reflect a challenging start to the year for the US gaming industry across all major platforms and categories.