Best-Selling Games And Consoles Of August 2022 Revealed: Madden And PS5 Top The Charts

The NPD Group has released its latest monthly sales report, this one covering August 2022, showing which games and consoles sold the best in the US. The report also shines a light on how the US games industry is performing overall.

Total spending across games, consoles, and accessories reached $4.10 billion in the US during August 2022, which was a decline of 5% year-over-year. Year-to-date spending came to $34.6 billion, a 9% year-over-year decline, though it was up by 3% compared to the comparable period in 2020.

For hardware specifically, the PlayStation 5 was August 2022’s best-selling console overall for both unit and dollar sales. The Switch, however, has sold the most units so far in 2022. NPD added that both the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles saw double-digit percentage growth in August 2022 compared to August 2021 due in part to better supply. Total spending on consoles in August 2022 jumped by 14% to $375 million. Year-to-date spending on consoles in the US declined 4% to $2.9 billion.

Shifting to games, Madden NFL 23 was August 2022’s top-selling game overall, and it marked the 23rd straight year that a new Madden game topped the charts during its launch month. After less than a month on the market, Madden NFL 23 became the fifth-best-selling game of 2022 so far.

Saint’s Row was No. 2 in August, followed by Marvel’s Spider-Man in third. Another big move was Horizon Forbidden West, which ranked 12th after a price cut, rising from 28th in July, NPD said. Forbidden West is 2022’s 4th-best-selling game overall so far.

The mobile games category took another big hit during August 2022, with total revenue declining by 10%. NPD said spending on mobile continues to fall as people return to work and spend more time living their lives. Spending on Google Play dropped 22% year-over-year in August, while spending from the App Store declined by 1.2%.

In terms of accessories, the PS5 DualSense Midnight Black controller was August 2022’s best-selling accessory, and the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller remains the best-selling accessory of 2022 so far. Total spending on accessories in the US fell by 18% in August 2022 to $138 million. According to the NPD, gamepad and headset spending declines attributed to the overall downturn. Year-to-date spending on accessories in the US fell by 14% to $1.4 billion.

August 2022 Best-Selling Games In The US

1. Madden NFL 23
2. Saints Row
3. Spider-Man
4. Elden Ring
5. MultiVersus#
6. Mario Kart 8*
7. Minecraft
8. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
9. MLB The Show 22^
10. Xenoblade Chronicles 3*
11. Digimon Survive
12. Horizon Forbidden West
13. Call of Duty: Vanguard
14. Far Cry 6
15. Soul Hackers 2
16. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
17. Gran Turismo 7
18. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
19. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
20. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*

* Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

# Founder’s Pack Edition sales only

Year-To-Date Top 10 Games

1. Elden Ring
2. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
3. Pokemon Legends: Arceus
4. Horizon: Forbidden West
5. Madden NFL 23
6. MLB The Show 22^
7. Call of Duty: Vanguard
8. Gran Turismo 7
9. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
10. Mario Kart 8*

* Digital sales not included

^ Xbox and Switch digital sales not included

12 Months Ending August 2022 Top 10 Games

1. Elden Ring
2. Call of Duty: Vanguard
3. Madden NFL 22
4. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
5. Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl
6. Battlefield 2042
7. Far Cry 6
8. FIFA 22
9. Pokemon: Legends Arceus*
10. Horizon: Forbidden West

*Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On Switch

1. Mario Kart 8*
2. Xenoblade Chronicles 3*
3. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
4. Kirby and the Forgotten Land*
5. Pokemon Legends: Arceus*
6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
7. Nintendo Switch Sports*
8. Digimon Survive
9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
10. Minecraft*

* Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On PlayStation

1. Madden NFL 22
2. Saints Row
3. Horizon Forbidden West
4. MLB The Show 22
5. Gran Turismo 7
6. Elden Ring
7. Spider-Man: Miles Morales
8. Minecraft
9. Call of Duty: Vanguard
10. Soul Hackers 2

* Digital sales not included

August 2022 Top 10 Games On Xbox

1. Madden NFL 23
2. Saints Row
3. Far Cry 6
4. Elden Ring
5. MultiVersus#
6. Call of Duty: Vanguard
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
8. Forza Horizon 5
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
10. Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

* Digital sales not included

# Founder’s Pack Edition sales only