European Video Game Sales: January 2023

European video game sales experienced a notable decline in January 2023, with 12.1 million units sold across the continent, representing a 19% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. This downturn is largely attributed to the absence of a major new release comparable to the previous year’s hit, Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While established titles such as FIFA 23, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Grand Theft Auto 5 maintained strong performance, the market lacked the momentum provided by high-profile software launches in the prior year.

Conversely, the hardware sector showed significant growth, with 493,000 consoles sold across tracked European markets, marking a 15.5% increase year-over-year. This growth was driven primarily by a 202% surge in PlayStation 5 sales, as supply chain constraints that hampered availability in early 2022 were largely resolved. In contrast, sales for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X/S declined by 11% and 32%, respectively.

The analysis utilizes GSD market data, which aggregates physical game sales across major European countries alongside digital sales from most major AAA publishers. The scope of the data varies by category: hardware and accessory sales cover a specific subset of European nations, while software data includes a broader range of countries. The findings highlight a divergent trend where improved hardware accessibility failed to offset the softening of the software market, which also saw a 2.1% decline in accessory sales and a 4% drop in digital point and subscription card transactions.