Video Game Sales: Europe September 2024

Video game sales across Europe experienced a significant surge in September 2024, with total volume increasing by more than 20% compared to the same period in 2023. A total of 17.6 million PC and console games were sold during the month, driven by a mix of high-profile new releases and aggressive promotional activity. EA Sports FC 25 secured the top position in the charts, demonstrating strong performance in its premium tier despite a slight overall dip in launch-week sales compared to its predecessor.

The market saw notable success from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, which emerged as a breakout hit and is on track to become the fastest-selling title in the franchise's history. Other significant performers included Astro Bot, which outperformed several recent AAA 3D platformers, and The Crew 2, which saw a massive boost in engagement due to a promotional campaign that effectively offered the game for a nominal fee. Conversely, hardware sales faced a downturn, with console volume dropping 18% year-on-year to 335,000 units. While the PlayStation 5 remained the market leader, the Nintendo Switch saw a modest 1.5% increase in sales, while Xbox hardware experienced a 58% decline.

The analysis relies on GSD figures, which aggregate digital and physical sales data across a wide range of European markets. Digital data encompasses major publishers and platforms, though notable exceptions like Nintendo limit the scope of digital reporting for their specific titles. Physical data is tracked across 15 European countries, while hardware and accessory metrics cover a slightly smaller subset of these regions. This data provides a comprehensive overview of the European gaming landscape, highlighting shifting consumer preferences and the impact of both new software launches and hardware lifecycle stages.