U.S. Video Game Spending Falls by 6% in May 2024

In May 2024, the U.S. saw a 6% decline in total spending on video game hardware, content, and accessories compared to the same period last year, reaching $4 billion, according to a report by Circana. This dip includes a 3% decrease in content spending, despite a 13% rise in mobile content. Console spending, however, plummeted by 40%, mainly due to the previous year’s successful launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Hardware spending saw a significant 40% drop from last year, totaling $202 million. Year-to-date, hardware spending is down by 30%, with all current-generation platforms experiencing double-digit declines. The PlayStation 5 led in both unit and dollar sales for the month, with the Nintendo Switch coming second in unit sales and Xbox Series second in dollar sales.

Accessory spending decreased by 8%, amounting to $148 million. A 10% increase in headset and headphone spending was offset by a 12% decline in gamepad spending. The PlayStation Portal was the top-selling accessory in dollar sales for May and the year to date.

Ghost of Tsushima topped the sales chart for May 2024, driven by its release on Steam. It outperformed Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door in both physical and digital sales. Other top games included Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) and Helldivers II.

In mobile gaming, consumer spending grew by 13% year-over-year. Brawl Stars saw the most significant growth, with a 35% increase in consumer spending from the previous month, making May 2024 its best month since its launch.