NPD: US game spending reaches record $4.6 billion in February

US game spending hit a new record in February, reaching $4.6 billion. It’s up 35% from the same period last year, according to the latest NPD Group report.

Key data from the report

• Combined sales of games, hardware, and accessories in February reached $4.6 billion, compared to $3.4 billion from February 2020.
• Software sales (PC, console, mobile, cloud, and streaming services) reached $4 billion, which is up 30% year-over-year.
• US gamers spent $195 million on accessories (up 41% year-over-year).
• Hardware sales reached $406 million in February (up 121% year-over-year).
• Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console of the month, leading both in terms of units sold and dollar sales.
• PlayStation 5 ranked second while being the fastest-selling console in US history in terms of dollar sales in the first four months since launch.
• Total game spending in the first two months of 2021 reached $9.3 billion (up 39% year-over-year).

Speaking about games, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury became the best-selling title in February, displacing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War from first place. It’s based on physical copies alone, as Nintendo doesn’t provide data on digital sales.

Little Nightmares 2 debuted in sixth place, while Persona 5: Strikes landed in third. These three new titles also pushed Cyberpunk 2077, Super Mario Party, and UFC 4 out of the Top 20 best-selling games.