Spending on Xbox Hardware in the US Grew 92% in Q1 2022 - Sales
by William D'Angelo , posted on 12 May 2022 / 3,113 Views
The Nintendo Switch was the best-selling video game hardware in the US in the first quarter of 2022 (January to March), while Xbox hardware generated the most revenue, according to The NPD Group's consumer spending report.
Xbox hardware revenue increased a massive 92 percent year-over-year. This compares to the overall hardware market, which decreased 15 percent compared to Q1 2021. The increase in Xbox hardware revenue is likely due to there being more stock available than a year ago, especially with the Xbox Series X.
Total spending on the US video game market in Q1 2022 reached $13.9 billion. This is an eight percent drop compared to last year. There was a decrease in revenue across consoles, mobile, PC, cloud, accessories, and more. Subscriptions was the only segment to see growth year-over-year.
The best-selling games in Q1 2022 included Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Vanguard, Call of Duty: Warzone, Candy Crush Saga, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Coin Master, Elden Ring, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto V, Horizon: Forbidden West, Madden NFL 22, Mario Kart 8, Mario Party Superstars, Minecraft, NBA 2K22, Pokémon GO, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Roblox, The Sims 4, and WWE 2K22.
"Despite declines when compared to the first quarter of 2021, industry spending and engagement remained significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels," said Mat Piscatella, games industry analyst at The NPD Group.
"Several factors influenced the changes in spending on video games seen so far this year. These included continued supply constraints on new console hardware, a comparable quarter from last year that included government COVID-19 stimulus checks for individuals, and the return of experiential spending opportunities that had been depressed last year, among others."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel dedicated to gaming Let's Plays and tutorials. You can contact the author at wdangelo@vgchartz.com or on Twitter @TrunksWD.