UK Video Game Sales See Significant Boost in August, Driven by PS5

The UK video game market experienced a notable surge in August, primarily fueled by the strong performance of the PlayStation 5. According to data from GfK, over 135,000 console units were sold during the month, representing a 22% increase from July and an 8% rise compared to August of the previous year. The PlayStation 5 saw a substantial 42% month-on-month sales jump, largely attributed to aggressive pricing and bundle promotions over the summer. As a result, year-to-date sales for the PS5 have climbed by 60%. In contrast, the Nintendo Switch is showing signs of slowing down, with a 5% month-on-month sales decline in August and a 10% drop in year-to-date sales. Xbox, however, saw a 7% increase in Series S and X sales compared to July, despite still trailing behind the Switch and PS5. The upcoming releases of Starfield and Forza Motorsport are expected to bolster Microsoft's market presence in the coming months. The success of the PS5 also had a positive impact on accessory sales, with GfK reporting a 3.5% increase in add-on products sold in August compared to July, and a 1% rise over the same period last year. The top six best-selling accessories for the month were all PS5-related, including various DualSense controllers and the DualSense Charging Station. In terms of game sales, the GSD charts indicated that 1.75 million games were sold in August, marking a 2.2% decline from the previous year. However, this figure does not account for the sales of Baldur's Gate 3, which would have likely taken the top spot for the month if it were included in the GSD panel. FIFA 23 was the best-selling game of August, driven by a surge in sales for the Nintendo Switch version following a discount on the Nintendo eShop. Other notable releases, such as Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, also performed well, with the series seeing a significant boost in sales compared to its predecessors. Rockstar had a successful month, with three games in the top ten, including Red Dead Redemption, which re-entered the charts at number five following its release on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. Additionally, Quake 2 saw a remarkable comeback, re-entering the charts at number 12 nearly 26 years after its initial release, following a remaster and update with new levels.