If you’re trying to buy a new video game console in 2022, then you probably already know that they’re still in short supply. While the Nintendo Switch (including the new Switch OLED model) and Xbox Series S are generally available throughout the US, it’s a little harder to get something more powerful, and NPD data released today reflects that.
Between the Xbox Series S remaining in stock consistently and the increasingly obtainable Xbox Series X (try opening up your Best Buy app in the morning or checking local stores to find one — many have had them in stock lately), Microsoft’s consoles led in terms of hardware dollars for March 2022 and the entire first quarter in the US.
US NPD PREMIUM GAMES – Elden Ring repeated as the best-selling game of the month, as dollar sales experienced double-digit percentage dollar sales growth compared to its Feb 2022 launch. Elden Ring ranked first in dollar sales among tracked titles across PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) April 25, 2022
Nintendo’s convertible game system still sold the most units for both time periods, but higher Xbox prices (when the Series S isn’t discounted) and PlayStation 5 supply that still can’t meet demand combined to snap a streak of either the Switch or PS5 topping all of the lists over the last year or so.
According to the stats released by NPD video game analyst Mat Piscatella, industry hardware sales were $515 million in March (down 24 percent from 2021) and $1.2 billion in Q1 (down 15 percent from 2021). Despite that, this is the best March result for Xbox hardware sales in a long time with the most total units sold since March 2011 and the most revenue for March since 2014, just a few months after the Xbox One was released.
Just like February, Elden Ring was March’s top-selling game, followed by Gran Turismo 7.
