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The NPD Group has released its latest monthly report for the US video game industry, revealing which games and consoles sold the best during May 2021. The report also covers how well the industry overall performed during the month.
Here are the big takeaways, including Resident Evil Village leading the pack.
Overall
Total spending on games in the US during May 2021–spanning hardware, games, and accessories–rose by 3% to $4.5 billion. Year-to-date, meanwhile, spending rose by 17% to $24 billion. These are both year-over-year comparisons.
Hardware
For game consoles, total spending on hardware rose by 5% year-over-year to $244 million for May 2021. Spending on hardware year-to-date performed even better, jumping by 36% to $1.9 billion so far in 2021.
The Nintendo Switch was once again the top-selling home console in the US during May 2021, outperforming the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S systems (which remain difficult to find in many places).
The Switch was the top-performer both in terms of total units sold and dollars spent for both May 2021 and year-to-date.
Games
Shifting to games, total spending on software for May 2021 rose to $4.06 billion, which was up 3% year-over-year. Year-to-date, spending on games surged by 15% to $21 billion.
Resident Evil Village was the month’s best-seller overall, and it quickly became the second best-selling game of 2021 so far. Capcom is discussing Resident Evil during an E3 showcase today. The spin-off Re:Verse game is coming in July.
MLB The Show 21, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, New Pokemon Snap, and Mortal Kombat 11 rounded out the top five for May 2021.
May 2021 Top-Selling Games All Platforms
Resident Evil VillageMLB The Show 21^Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold WarNew Pokemon Snap*Mortal Kombat 11Mario Kart 8*ReturnalAnimal Crossing: New Horizons*MinecraftCall of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)Spider-Man: Miles MoralesSuper Mario 3D World*Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*It Takes TwoBiomutant*Assassin’s Creed ValhallaMonster Hunter: RiseThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*Pokemon: Sword/Shield*Days Gone
*Digital sales not included
^ Xbox digital sales not included
Accessories
The accessories category was the only segment to drop year-over-year, with total spending falling by 8% to $142 million for May 2021. Year-to-date spending has now reached $1 billion, which is up 17% year-over-year. Steering wheel accessories are doing especially well, rising by more than 45% in terms of revenue year-over-year. The Logitech G920 Driving Force racing wheel is 2021’s best-selling steering wheel so far.
