U.S. game sales up February while hardware disappoints

February 2024 was up 2% overall for the video game market in the United States compared to last year, thanks in large part to Sony’s surprise success with Helldivers 2. Game sales were up 5%, reaching $4.1 billion; whole console sales fell by an astounding 30%, accounting for only $349 million during the month.

Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, the sequel to Square-Enix’s successful Final Fantasy 7: Remake, came in at No. 2 for the month, but that’s slightly misleading, as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth Twin Pack is listed separately, and that bundle came in 8th for the month. Yet even put together, Helldivers 2, with an estimated 8 million in total sales across platforms both physical and digital, would likely still be first.

The other new releases for the month, Ubisoft’s Skull and Bones at No. 4 and the Nintendo Switch exclusive Mario vs. Donkey Kong, coming in at No. 11, have been derided by consumers, and it’s likely poor word of mouth will keep them from climbing any higher.

Last month’s top two sellers, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Tekken 8, fell to 3rd and 5th, respectively. Despite poor word of mouth and consumer complaints, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League keeps selling well for Warner Bros., coming in this month at No. 7, falling only 4 spots.

As for hardware, once again, the PlayStation 5 is the top console for the month. The Nintendo Switch is second for console unit sales, while Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles are second in dollar sales, splitting the second position with Nintendo for the second month in a row.

Accessory sales were led again by the Sony PlayStation 5 Dual Sense Edge Wireless Black Controller. Total sales were up 25% over February 2023, totaling $219 million.