US game sales up 30% during Q1 2021 | US Quarterly Report
Consumer spending on gaming reached $14.92 billion from January to March 2021, NPD Group reports
Games consumer spending during Q1 2021 increased 30% year-on-year in the US to reach $14.92 billion, according to the latest NPD Group report.
Growth was experienced across all gaming categories from January to March, with hardware in particular rising a healthy 81% year-on-year.
Content spending was up 25% to $12.8 billion, while accessories saw a 42% boost.
The report highlighted some best sellers during the quarter, including Among Us, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Super Mario 3D World.
NPD's games industry analyst Mat Piscatella commented: "Consumer spending on video game products continued to thrive in the first quarter, delivering record results. While we are still seeing elevated rates of both engagement and spending resulting from changes in consumer behavior driven by the pandemic, we are also seeing cyclical gains from the November launches of both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.
"The growth driven by these new platforms, combined with gains experienced in mobile, PC and VR content spending, as well as the continued strength of Nintendo Switch, have pushed the market to new highs."