May 2020 tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards totaled $977 million, 52 percent higher when compared to a year ago.  This is the highest tracked spend for a May month since the $1.2 billion achieved in May 2008.

Year to date tracked spending across Video Game Hardware, Software, Accessories and Game Cards reached $5.5 billion, increasing 18 percent when compared to a year ago. This is the highest total for the year-to-date period since 2011 ($5.7 billion).

Software (All notes refer to dollar sales)

Dollar sales of tracked Video Game Software gained 67 percent in May compared to a year ago, to $438 million.  This is the highest total achieved since the $487 million reached in May 2010

Year-to-date sales of tracked Video Game Software total $2.5 billion, 13 percent higher when compared to a year ago.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare returns to the top of the chart as May’s best-selling title. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remains the best-selling game of 2020 year-to-date, as well as for the 12 month period ending May 2020.

No new releases ranked among the top 10 best-selling games of the month.  The highest ranking new release was Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, which placed at #14 on the all-platforms chart.

Mortal Kombat 11 is the fifth best-selling game of May 2020. It is the highest the title has ranked on the monthly chart since it was the third best-selling game of June 2019.  Mortal Kombat 11 is currently the fifth best-selling fighting game in U.S. history.

Hardware

Hardware spending grew 56 percent in May 2020 when compared to a year ago, to $235 million. This is the highest total for an May month since the $239 million total achieved in May 2010.  Year-to-date spending reached $1.4 billion, increasing 34 percent compared to a year ago.

Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform in May in both unit and dollar sales.  Nintendo Switch unit sales were the highest for an individual platform in a May month since the Nintendo 3DS in May 2009.

Accessories & Game Cards

May 2020 spending on Accessories and Game Cards reached $304 million, increasing 32 percent when compared to a year ago.  Year-to-date spending has increased 12 percent, to $1.6 billion.

Gamepads, Headsets/Headphones and Steering Wheels all set new May dollar sales records. The Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller is the best-selling Accessory both of May and year to date in dollar sales.

David Riley

Executive Director, Global Public Relations

The NPD Group, Inc.  |  New York, NY 10001  USA

m: 917.543.5465

david.riley@npd.com |  npd.com |  twitter  |  linkedin  |  blog