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The NPD Group has released its latest monthly sales report for April 2022, revealing the best-selling games and hardware of the month, and also shining a light on the general health of the business.
Starting with games, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga was April 2022’s best-selling game overall and is now the No. 2 best-selling game of 2022 so far (Elden Ring is No. 1). Additionally, The Skywalker Saga was the best-selling game of the month on Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam.
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Now Playing: LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – DLC Trailer
The Nintendo angle specifically is of note, given The Skywalker Saga is the first game not developed by Nintendo to rank as the No. 1 best-selling game on a Nintendo platform since March 2021 when Capcom’s Monster Hunter: Rise topped the charts.
The Skywalker Saga also broke franchise sales records, reaching the highest launch-month dollar sales for any Lego title in history. After just one month of sales, The Skywalker Saga is already in the top six best-selling Lego games all time, though the other five were not announced.
Warner Bros. Games, which published The Skywalker Saga, announced that the game sold 3.2 million copies worldwide over its first two weeks on all platforms to set a new franchise sales record.
The Skywalker Saga was developed by TT Games alongside Lucasfilm Games. The game was delayed numerous times before it finally launched in early April. These delays reportedly led to “extensive crunch” for developers at TT Games. Some developers reported “breaking down outside of work hours because of the workload and some of the stresses they were under.”
The second best-selling game of April 2022 in the US was Elden Ring, which originally launched in February 2022 and remains this year’s best-selling game overall. Of note, it has now surpassed the sales of 2021’s best-selling game in the US, Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Moving to mobile games, spending slowed down due the pandemic easing up and a lack of stimulus payments compared to this time last year, the NPD said. While spending on mobile games in the US was down overall, usage among the top-earning games like Candy Crush Saga, Roblox, and Coin Master all grew year-over-year.
As for hardware, spending jumped by 16% to $343 million thanks to improved supply of PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The Switch was the best-selling console in the US for April and 2022 so far, with Xbox Series X|S ranking second for units sold for April 2022 and the year.
Of note, the Switch surpassed the lifetime sales of the PS4 in the US during April 2022 and now is the fourth highest-selling console in US history, only trailing PS2, Xbox 360, and the Wii. Worldwide, it’s a different story, however, as the Switch has already sold more units than the Wii globally.
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Across hardware, games, and accessories, total spending on video games in the US for April 2022 reached $4.3 billion, which is up 8% year-over-year. Year-to-date, however, total spending is down 8%, at $18.3 billion.
Shifting to accessories, total spending in April 2022 declined 10% to $151 million, with the black PS4 DualShock 4 finishing as April’s best-selling accessory overall. The Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, meanwhile, is 2022’s best-selling accessory.
April 2022 Top 10 Games Overall
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaElden RingMLB The Show 22^Kirby and the Forgotten Land*Nintendo Switch Sports*Call of Duty: VanguardHorizon Forbidden WestMario Kart 8*Gran Turismo 7Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
*Digital sales not included
^Xbox digital sales not included
12 Months Ending April 2022 Top 10 Games
Elden RingCall of Duty: VanguardMadden NFL 22Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl*Battlefield 2042Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaFar Cry 6FIFA 22Resident Evil VillagePokemon Legends: Arceus*
*Digital sales not included
Year-To-Date 2022 Top 10 Games
Elden RingLego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaPokemon Legends: Arceus*Horizon Forbidden WestMLB The Show 22^Gran Turismo 7Call of Duty: VanguardKirby and the Forgotten Land*Madden NFL 22Mario Kart 8*
*Digital sales not included
^Xbox digital sales not included
April 2022 Top Nintendo Games
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaKirby and the Forgotten Land*Nintendo Switch Sports*Mario Kart 8*Pokemon Legends: Arceus*Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*Animal Crossing: New Horizons*Mario Party Superstars*The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*MLB The Show 22*
*Digital sales not included
April 2022 Top PlayStation Games
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaMLB The Show 22Elden RingHorizon Forbidden WestGran Turismo 7Call of Duty: VanguardSpider-Man: Miles MoralesWWE 2K22*FIFA 22Madden NFL 22
*Digital sales not included
April 2022 Top Xbox Games
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaElden RingCall of Duty: VanguardCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarForza Horizon 5Call of Duty: Modern WarfareHalo InfiniteGodfallFIFA 22Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
