US Gaming Market: August 2022

Key insights

6 slides

Overall Performance

The US gaming market experienced a 5% year-on-year decline in August 2022.

Total spending reached $4.10 billion, despite the release of major titles like Madden NFL 23 and Saints Row.

Hardware Growth

Hardware sales were the only category to see growth, increasing by 14% to $375 million in August 2022.

This growth was driven by improved supply of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.

Like a single strong swimmer in a receding tide, hardware sales bucked the overall market trend.

Hardware Resilience. Hardware sales increased by 14% to $375 million in August 2022, the only segment to grow.

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Summary

The United States video game market experienced a 5% year-on-year revenue decline in August 2022, totaling $4.10 billion. Despite the release of major titles such as Madden NFL 23 and Saints Row, the overall market contraction was driven by a 6% decrease in software spending and an 18% drop in accessory sales. Mobile gaming also contributed to the downturn, with spending falling 10% compared to the previous year, largely due to a significant 22% decline among Google Play users.

Hardware was the only segment to demonstrate growth, rising 14% to $375 million. This increase was attributed to improved supply chain availability for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, with the PlayStation 5 emerging as the top-selling platform in both unit and dollar sales for the month.

While the monthly figures represent a decline from 2021, total spending remained slightly higher than the $4.07 billion recorded in August 2020. Year-to-date spending reached $34.6 billion, reflecting a 9% decrease compared to the same period in the previous year. The data, provided by the NPD Group, covers the period from July 31 to August 26, 2022, and encompasses retail and digital sales across hardware, software, and accessories within the U.S. market.