The UK games market has witnessed growth in the first quarter of 2023, owing to the success of games such as Hogwarts Legacy and the PS5 console. Despite major launches such as Pokémon Legends: Arceus, Elden Ring, and Horizon: Forbidden West, the sales of video games (including physical and digital downloads) rose by 1% compared to the same quarter in 2022, with nearly eight million games sold. The PS5 supply has improved during the period, leading to an increase in console hardware sales by a substantial 24.2% according to GfK data. The console’s sales got a considerable boost as it accounted for over 50% of the market in the first quarter.
The success of the software market can be attributed to the Hogwarts Legacy game. It became the fastest-selling video game in the UK outside of FIFA and Call of Duty since Red Dead Redemption 2. In fact, the game’s sales have outperformed two of last year’s best-selling games, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Elden Ring. On the other hand, the Nintendo Switch sales fell by over 25%, making it the No. 2 console of the year. Similarly, the sales of Xbox Series S and X consoles also decreased by 18% in the first quarter.
In the March market data, sales fell slightly by 3% year-on-year, with 2.7 million digital and physical games sold, and Resident Evil 4 remake topping the charts. Although the game’s performance fell below that of Resident Evil 2 remake and Resident Evil Village, it still managed to surpass Resident Evil 3 remake’s performance in 2020. While 65% of Resident Evil 4’s sales were on PlayStation platforms, 20% were on Xbox, and 15% were on PC.
Moreover, WWE 2K23 was the next biggest new game release in March, securing a spot at fourth place. While the game’s first three weeks of sales were 20% lower than last year’s WWE 2K22, which was a long time coming and had more pent-up demand, Tchia secured a position in the top ten new releases at No. 6, and Metroid Prime Remastered at No. 9, purely based on physical sales since Nintendo doesn’t share digital data.
The PS5 continues to remain the No.1 console in March, with Nintendo Switch trailing at No. 2. There was a small rise in Switch sales, helped by the new Super Mario hardware bundle. Xbox Series S and X sales were down by 10%, while accessories sales rose by over 20%, with the Xbox Wireless Controller (Carbon Black) emerging as the best-selling accessory.
In conclusion, despite the ups and downs in sales, the UK games market continues to see growth with the success of games like Resident Evil 4 remake, Hogwarts Legacy, and the PS5 console. Gamers can look forward to new releases such as the Super Mario movie and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the coming months.
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According to https://www.gamesindustry.biz/hogwarts-legacy-and-ps5-rescue-uk-games-market-in-q1-2023-uk-monthy-charts
The material in this article is written on the basis of another article.
Ink Alchemist