US video game spending totaled $1.2 billion in June, according to a new report by NPD Group.
Spending has been dramatically higher in 2020 than it was compared to last year, with sales through June up 19 percent year over year, and June sales specifically were up 26 percent compared to the same month in 2019. While NPD’s numbers don’t cite a specific reason for the boost in sales, it’s hard not to draw the conclusion that a major contributing factor was the spike in video game playing caused by millions of people having a sudden boost in free time thanks to COVID-19 shutdowns.
While hardware spending declined a bit in June, Nintendo Switch was the best-selling hardware platform, and the Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller was the best-selling accessory.
It’s likely that these numbers were driven, at least in part, by more people staying home during the pandemic. That tracks with what we’ve heard elsewhere. To keep up with a surge in demand, Sony will make millions more PlayStation 5 consoles than it originally planned, and Nintendo is ramping up Switch production.
