European Video Game Sales Experience a Decline in July Due to Release Schedule Drought

The European video game market witnessed a significant downturn in July, primarily attributed to the scarcity of console stock and a dearth of major game releases. The combined sales of physical and digital games plummeted by 38% year-over-year, resulting in 8.62 million units sold. Notably, July 2022 consisted of only four weeks, whereas July 2021 had five weeks, yet the former still emerged as a disappointing month for game sales. The primary reason for this decline was the lack of new game releases. F1 22, which was released in June, remained the best-selling game in July. Meanwhile, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, the highest-charting new release, secured the seventh position. In the previous year, F1 2021 and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD on Nintendo Switch were the top-selling games. Although Xenoblade Chronicles 3 did not match the sales of Zelda, it performed well for the series, with launch sales increasing by 27% compared to Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition in 2020. It is worth noting that Nintendo does not disclose its download figures, which might have led to a higher chart position for the game. In terms of pure physical retail sales, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ranked third, behind Nintendo Switch Sports and F1 22, which occupied the first and second positions, respectively. F1 22 emerged as the top-selling game in Germany, Italy, and France, while Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga claimed the top spot in the UK. The Nintendo Switch maintained its position as the leading console in Europe, with 297,420 consoles sold across tracked European markets in July, representing a 48% decline compared to the same period last year. Console data excluded sales from Germany and the UK, although information on the UK console market is available. The continued stock shortages of PS5 and Xbox Series X and S consoles contributed to the Switch's dominance. Year-to-date, console sales across these European markets have decreased by over 26%, primarily due to PS5 stock shortages, while Xbox Series S and X and Nintendo Switch sales have increased slightly compared to the previous year. In terms of accessories, 8.99 million add-on products, including toys-to-life, were sold across tracked European markets, marking a 9.4% decline compared to July 2021. The PS5 DualSense Controller remains the top accessory by a significant margin. Furthermore, 11.6 million points cards were sold across the markets last month, representing a 5.9% decline over the previous year. The PlayStation Wallet Top-Up Card continues to be the most popular product. Digital data is currently unavailable. The GSD digital data encompasses games from participating companies sold via Steam, Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Nintendo Eshop. Major participating companies include Activision Blizzard, Bandai Namco, Capcom, Codemasters, Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, Focus Entertainment, Konami, Marvellous Games, Microids, Microsoft, Milestone, Nacon, Paradox Interactive, Quantic Dream, Sega, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. Notable absentees include Nintendo and 505 Games, as well as smaller studios. Digital data includes games sold in various countries, including Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, and the United Kingdom. Physical data includes all games sold in specific countries, such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Console hardware sales cover countries like Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, while accessories sales cover the same markets, excluding Switzerland.