Video Game Console Sales Are Slowing, But One Had a Big January
Across the board, gamers don't seem to be buying a lot of video game consoles, at the moment. [...]
Across the board, gamers don't seem to be buying a lot of video game consoles, at the moment. There's a very specific reason for that, of course; with the upcoming release of the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, there just isn't a lot of incentive for players to plunk down their hard-earned cash for a new video game console when the latest wave is due soon. There is one exception, however, and that's the Nintendo Switch. The company's handheld hybrid has been on the market less than three years, with no replacement in sight. As such, it continues to perform well, taking home the top-selling console spot in January!
The news comes courtesy of the NPD Group's Mat Piscatella. According to Piscatella, Switch was the US' best-selling console, both in dollar numbers, and in units sold. The console continues to move units, while Nintendo's fitness title Ring Fit Adventure had its strongest month yet, as January's ninth best-selling game, and the third best-selling Switch game overall, after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The best-selling game of the month was Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.
Historically speaking, January has never been a strong month for the video game industry, as sales tend to drop-off following the holiday boom. However, this year seems to be significantly slower. Overall, console sales are down by 35% over 2019's numbers.
US NPD HW - Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform of January in both unit and dollar sales.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) February 14, 2020
It's not unsurprising to see these trends. After all, GameStop has pinned their own recent woes on slowing hardware sales, while simultaneously pointing at Nintendo Switch as a strong performer for the company. That said, it will be interesting to see how things look a year from now! The next two consoles could lead to a strong January, but if demand is higher than supply (which is certainly not unprecedented during a launch period), it could lead to more of the same. Also, while Switch continues to perform well for Nintendo, it's impossible to know what will happen to interest once PS5 and Xbox Series X are on the market. Either way, the video game industry certainly has an interesting year ahead!
Have you purchased a Nintendo Switch? Are you planning to purchase a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!