Germany Sees 6% Drop in Gaming Expenditure for H1 2024, Reaching €4.3 Billion

In the first half of 2024, German gaming expenditure totaled €4.28 billion, representing a 6% decrease from the same period in the previous year. This information is based on a report by the German trade association Game, which utilized data from GfK and Data.ai, a subsidiary of Sensor Tower. The decline signifies the market's first contraction following several years of expansion. The most significant decrease in revenue was observed in hardware sales, which plummeted 18% year-over-year to €1.2 billion. This downturn is attributed to the slowing sales of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, as well as the Nintendo Switch entering its eighth year in the market. The revenue from games, including full-game purchases and in-app transactions, decreased by 4% to €2.6 billion, a relatively stable outcome considering the difference in major releases between H1 2023 and H1 2024. Conversely, the revenue from online gaming services, which includes subscriptions to platforms like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass, experienced a 25% increase to €516 million, making it the sole category to exhibit year-on-year growth. The managing director of Game, Felix Falk, expressed optimism that the German market will not remain in decline for an extended period, citing the upcoming release of several high-profile games towards the end of the year.