Video Game Sales and the Biggest Consoles of 2022 - Petra Blog

updated June 1, 2022

How things are shifting since the 2021 pandemic boom

The NPD Group has video gaming data for Q1 2022. Numbers, including video game sales, are softer than last year, which should come as no surprise because people are starting to embrace their pre-pandemic entertainment activities.

Looking specifically at Q1 2022, accessories and hardware have taken the hardest hit.

On the good news front, many games slated for 2021 release are expected to become available in 2022. Find out here which ones are already scheduled for 2022.

Video game sales

So, what’s already out that’s hot? The Top 10 games for Q1 2022, per NPD, are:

1. Elden Ring
2. Pokémon Legends, Arceus*
3. Horizon: Forbidden West
4. Gran Turismo 7
5. Call of Duty: Vanguard
6. Madden NFL 22
7. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
8. Mario Kart 8
9. Dying Light 2: Stay Human*
10. FIFA 22

* means digital sales are not included

Positions fluctuate month to month especially as new games are released. For example, in March alone, 5 new games were released, and not all are on the Q1 chart:

Who’s gaming?

According to Insiderintelligence.com,

“There will be 179.6 million monthly gamers in the US this year—meaning more than half of the US population will identify as a digital gamer by the end of 2022.”

And Cloudsward.net notes that:

• 55% of gamers identify as male and 45% identify as female
• 67% of adults and 76% of kids under the age of 18 play video games
• Average age is 31 with 18 to 34 the most common age group
• 77% of Millennials, 81% of Gen-Zers, 60% of Gen-Xers, and 42% of Baby Boomers play video games
• 90% of gamers get joy out of games, 87% get mental stimulation and stress relief, 81% get teamwork skills, and 79% receive inspiration

As far as preferred genres:

And preferred devices?

Hot consoles for 2022

As noted earlier, figures are out for Q1 of 2022. According to the NPD Group:

• Xbox Series was the best-selling hardware platform of both March 2022 and the first quarter in dollars, while Switch led both time periods in unit sales
• The Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller was the best-selling accessory of March and remains the best-selling accessory year-to-date

DigitalTrends.com points out that supply issues continue to be a problem when it comes to finding top consoles. And BestReviews.com notes that old consoles are still being supported and the newest ones coming out are just half-steps up and still use the original PS4 and Xbox One games. The biggest improvement is the ability to output 4K. If gamers are searching for 4K TVs, they should look for those that support HDR 10, as opposed to HDR Premium.

Different resources list top consoles in varying ways.

Softwaretestinghelp.com gives this list as the most popular video gaming consoles:

1. Nintendo Switch
2. Sony PlayStation 4
3. Xbox One S
4. Sega Genesis Mini-Genesis
5. Sony PlayStation Classic Console
6. HAndPE Retro Classic Mini Game Console
7. Mademax RS-1 Handheld Game Console
8. LONSUN Classic retro Game Console with 620 Games
9. Oriflame Classic Game Console
10. MJKJ Handheld Game Console
11. Atari Flashback 8 Gold Console HDMI

Bestreviews.com suggests:

• Xbox Series X (best of the best)
• Nintendo Switch (best bang for the buck)
• PlayStation 5 (true 4K HDR gameplay and fast loading speeds)
• Xbox Series S (all digital games, speedy and budget-friendly)
• Amazon’s Luna controller (for their Cloud library of games)

And Digitaltrends.com recommends:

• PlayStation 5 (best gaming console)
• Xbox Series X (best Microsoft gaming console)
• Nintendo Switch (best portable game console)
• Nintendo Switch OLED (best premium portable console, no upgrades for TV)
• PlayStation 4 Pro (best budget game console)
• Nintendo Switch Lite (best budget portable game console, no TV mode)
• SNES Classic Edition (best retro game console)
• Sega Genesis Mini (best alternative retro game console)
• PlayStation VR (best console add-on, most affordable, for PS4 gamers)

For those who want a bigger-picture view, Statista.com released a lifetime sales of video game consoles worldwide as of April 2022:

Gaming accessories

Video gaming is alive and well. It is an ingrained part of American culture, even though it’s facing a reality check as people return to more normal lives.

And although sales of gaming accessories are down so far this year, gaming is still a massive market.

So if you are ready to accessorize and enhance your customers’ gaming experiences, be sure to take a look at what Petra carries in our video game accessories category. You’ll find everything from gaming headsets, grips, joysticks, controllers, gaming kits, and gaming chairs to chargers, cases, and fun handheld and desktop mini retro gaming systems. We even carry the hot Orion 11.6 in. portable gaming monitor for Switch!

And for your customers who prefer backpacks over cases, be sure to check out our gaming backpacks.

What will the rest of 2022 look like?

Gamesindustry.biz put together a panel of 4 experts of industry watchers for their thoughts on how 2022 will unfold.

Predictions include:

• Consoles flat, no Switch Pro or consoles will become a bit easier to find
• Overhaul of PlayStation’s subscription business
• Quest 2 continues to lead VR
• VR gains mass momentum in gaming as well as in the workplace
• Fewer delays in game releases but dates may not be hard and fast
• NFTs may get louder – or quieter

So, the upshot? No one knows. 2022 is shaping up to be a chameleon year.

Esports, however, continues to thrive. Insiderintelligence.com estimates there will be 29.6 million monthly viewers, up 11.5% from 2021.

But rest assured, Americans want to play. This means there are still profits to be made in the sales of games, gaming consoles, and accessories.