PC and Console Game Sales: Europe April 2024

European PC and console game sales experienced a downturn in April 2024, characterized by a 6.2% year-on-year decline with 10.5 million units sold. This contraction is primarily attributed to a lack of major new software releases compared to the same period in 2023, which saw high-profile debuts like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Dead Island 2. The only new entry to reach the top ten in April 2024 was Stellar Blade, which debuted at number nine.

Market performance was notably bolstered by the resurgence of the Fallout franchise, driven by the popularity of the Amazon Prime television series and associated price reductions. Fallout 4 emerged as the top-selling game of the month, with the PC version accounting for over half of its total sales. Other titles in the top ten included EA Sports FC 24 and Helldivers 2, which competed closely for the second position.

Hardware and accessory segments faced more significant challenges, with console sales dropping 47% compared to April 2023. This decline reflects a broader market cooling, as major platforms struggle with a weaker release schedule and the natural lifecycle maturation of hardware like the Nintendo Switch. Accessory sales also saw a decrease of nearly 17%, totaling just over one million units sold, though the PS5 DualSense controller maintained its position as the top-selling accessory.

The data, provided by GSD, tracks digital sales across most major European markets and physical sales in key regions, excluding the UK and Germany for hardware metrics. The findings underscore a period of market stagnation, highlighting an industry-wide requirement for high-profile software and new hardware to stimulate consumer spending.