March's Top New PC/Console Games; Steam's Wishlist Email Changes

This analysis examines the performance of major PC and console game releases during March 2026, while providing technical context regarding recent updates to Steam’s wishlist notification reporting. The findings rely on proprietary platform data and industry-wide sales metrics to evaluate market trends across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.

March 2026 saw significant commercial activity led by high-profile titles. Slay The Spire 2 emerged as the top-selling new release on Steam, exceeding 5 million units sold and generating over $110 million in gross revenue. Other notable performers included Crimson Desert, which achieved over 3 million units across PC and console platforms, and Marathon, which reached 1.3 million lifetime units. On the console front, MLB The Show 26 demonstrated strong regional performance, surpassing 1 million units with 93% of sales concentrated in the United States. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch experienced a 154% month-on-month sales increase in the UK, largely attributed to the release of Pokémon Pokopia, which sold 2.2 million units in its first four days.

The analysis also addresses a shift in Steam’s reporting methodology for wishlist notification emails. Valve has updated its Steamworks dashboard to reflect the actual number of emails successfully delivered to customers, rather than the previous metric of total accounts processed. This change accounts for factors such as user opt-outs, account status, and the platform’s 25-item limit per email. By providing more accurate data, this update allows developers to better assess the effectiveness of their discount strategies and understand the reach of their promotional notifications. These insights underscore the ongoing evolution of platform-level discovery tools and their direct impact on developer revenue management.