European Gaming Market Sees Decline in April Sales Due to Lack of Major Releases

The European gaming market experienced a 6.2% year-over-year decline in PC and console game sales in April, with a total of 10.5 million games sold. According to data from GSD, which tracks digital sales for major game companies across Europe and physical game sales in key European markets, April was a relatively quiet month for new game releases. The only new game to break into the top ten was Stellar Blade for PS5, debuting at number nine. In comparison, April 2023 saw the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which topped the charts, and Dead Island 2, which came in third. Despite the lack of major new releases, Fallout 4 saw a resurgence in sales, driven by a price cut and the popularity of the Amazon Prime TV series. The game was the best-selling title of the month, with the PC version accounting for over half of its sales. Fallout 4 was joined by two other games in the series, Fallout 76 and Fallout: New Vegas, which ranked seventh and tenth, respectively. Fallout 3 came in at number 14. The second best-selling game of the month was EA Sports FC 24, which narrowly edged out Helldivers 2. Other notable releases included TopSpin 2K25, which returned to the charts at number 12, and No Rest For The Wicked, which debuted at number 13. Console sales saw a significant decline in April, with all three major platforms experiencing substantial drops. This decline was attributed to a combination of factors, including a weaker release schedule and the natural slowdown of sales for consoles that have been on the market for several years. In terms of hardware sales, the data covers several European markets, excluding the UK and Germany. For UK data, please click here. The decline in console sales can be attributed to several factors, including a strong sales spike in the first half of last year due to increased stock of PS5 consoles, as well as activity around Nintendo Switch, including new hardware releases and special editions. However, with PS5 and Xbox Series S and X struggling due to a weaker release schedule, and Switch entering its eighth year on the market, it is not surprising that sales are slowing down. The market is in need of high-profile software releases and new consoles to stimulate sales. Accessory sales also saw a decline, with a 17% drop in sales compared to the same period last year. The PS5 DualSense Controller maintained its top position, with sales increasing by 0.8% over the previous month. GSD digital data includes games from participating companies sold via Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Nintendo Eshop. Major participating companies include Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, and Electronic Arts, among others. Digital data covers games sold in several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, and the UK. Physical data includes all games sold in key European markets, including Austria, Belgium, and France. Console hardware sales cover several European markets, including Belgium, Denmark, and France, while accessory sales cover the same markets, excluding Switzerland.