US Gaming Market: November 2022 Performance

The United States video game market experienced a return to growth in November 2022, with total consumer spending reaching $6.3 billion, a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2021. This performance was primarily fueled by a significant surge in hardware sales, which rose 45% year-on-year to $1.3 billion. The availability of PlayStation 5 consoles served as the primary catalyst for this hardware growth, establishing the platform as the top seller in both unit and dollar volume for the month.

While hardware and accessories—which saw a 10% increase to $289 million—provided a boost, software spending faced a 5% decline, totaling $4.7 billion. Despite this broader software downturn, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 maintained its position as the best-selling title for the second consecutive month, securing its status as the highest-selling game of 2022 at that point. Other notable software performers included God of War: Ragnarok and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet.

The data, provided by The NPD Group, covers the US market for the period of October 30 to November 26, 2022. While the monthly figures showed positive momentum, the year-to-date total spending reached $49 billion, reflecting a 6% decline compared to the previous year. Additionally, mobile gaming spending during the Thanksgiving and Black Friday period saw a 5% decrease compared to 2021, according to data from Sensor Tower, suggesting a challenging landscape for the mobile segment heading into the end of the year.