UK Gaming Market Sees Boost in August, Driven by PS5 Sales

The UK gaming market experienced a significant surge in August, primarily fueled by the robust sales of the PlayStation 5 console. According to data from GfK, the total sales of gaming consoles reached over 135,000 units, marking a 22% increase from July and an 8% rise compared to August of the previous year. The PlayStation 5 console saw a substantial 42% month-over-month increase in sales, largely attributed to aggressive pricing strategies and bundled deals offered during the summer months. As a result, the year-to-date sales of the PS5 have climbed by 60%. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch console is showing signs of slowing down, with sales dropping by 5% compared to the previous month and 10% year-to-date. However, the Xbox Series S and X consoles experienced a 7% growth in sales during August, despite still trailing behind the Switch and PS5 in terms of overall sales. The success of the PS5 also had a positive impact on the sales of accessories, with over 565,000 add-on products sold in August, representing a 3.5% increase from July and a 1% rise from the same period last year. The top six best-selling accessories in August were all PS5-related, including various DualSense controllers and the DualSense Charging Station. In terms of game sales, the GSD charts reported 1.75 million units sold, which is a 2.2% decrease from August of the previous year. However, it is essential to note that this figure does not provide a complete picture of the market. FIFA 23 emerged as the best-selling game of August, driven by a surge in sales of the Nintendo Switch version, which was discounted on the Nintendo eShop. Nevertheless, it is likely that Baldur's Gate 3 would have taken the top spot if it were included in the GSD panel. Another notable release in August was Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, which outperformed its predecessors due to the popularity of its developer, From Software. Rockstar also had a successful month, with three games in the top ten, including Red Dead Redemption, which re-entered the charts at number five after being released on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Additionally, the classic game Quake 2 made a comeback, reaching number twelve in the charts after being remastered and updated with new levels. The GSD digital data includes sales from participating companies through PC digital stores, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Nintendo eShop, with major companies such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft contributing to the data. However, notable absentees include Nintendo and 505 Games, as well as smaller studios.