Despite ongoing issues with supply, analysts at the NPD Group estimate that Sony has already seen a record console launch thanks to its November 2020 debut of the PlayStation 5.
Hardware estimates assembled by the NPD Group seem to show that the PlayStation 5 has outsold every other console launch to date when compared to each’s first five months on the market, in terms of both units sold and dollar sales.
However while that factoid is mentioned alongside the report, the exact number of PS5 consoles sold or the number of dollar sales those deals have brought in aren’t included in the NPD’s US Games Industry Sales report for March.
The report does however offer a peek at how video game hardware, content, and accessory sales so far this year compare against sales in 2020, though it is worth noting that NPD’s data on game sales doesn’t necessarily include stats from all platforms or publishers.
According to the NPD Group’s estimates, the US game industry as a whole has seen $14.9 billion in video game dollar sales between January 1 and March 31, 2021, up 30 percent from the year prior. That includes $1.4 billion in video game hardware sales, up a whopping 81 percent yoy likely thanks to next-gen hardware launches with some help from the Nintendo Switch.
Video game content is up 25 percent year-over-year to $12.8 billion, while accessories have brought in $717 million so far in 2021, up 42 percent from this point in 2020.
For March alone, NPD’s video game industry analyst adds that last month set a new March record for hardware dollar sales at $5.6 billion. While the PlayStation 5 is the top earner in terms of dollar sales for 2021, March belongs to Nintendo.
Its now 4-year-old handheld console hybrid was the best-selling console in terms of both units sold and dollar sales during March, and even beats the PlayStation 5 in terms of units sold for the first three months of 2021.