European Game Sales Experience Decline in April Due to Lack of New Releases

European PC and console game sales dropped by 6.2% year-over-year in April, totaling 10.5 million units sold, according to GSD data which tracks digital sales across major games companies in Europe and physical sales in key European markets. The month of April was relatively quiet for new game releases, with Stellar Blade for PS5 being the only new entry in the top ten, debuting at number nine. In contrast, April 2023 saw the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Dead Island 2, which debuted at numbers one and three respectively. Despite the lack of new releases, Fallout 4 experienced a significant surge in sales, driven by a price cut and the popularity of its Amazon Prime TV series, becoming the best-selling game of the month. The PC version of Fallout 4 accounted for over half of its total sales. Fallout 4 was followed closely by EA Sports FC 24, which narrowly beat out Helldivers 2 for the second spot. Other notable releases included TopSpin 2K25, which returned to the charts at number twelve, and No Rest For The Wicked, which debuted at number thirteen. Console sales experienced a significant decline, dropping 47% compared to the same period last year, with all major platforms seeing substantial decreases. This decline can be attributed to several factors, including a surge in PS5 sales last year following a period of limited availability, and a lack of high-profile software releases. The Switch, now in its eighth year on the market, also saw a decline in sales. Accessory sales also experienced a drop of nearly 17%, with just over 1 million units sold, although the PS5 DualSense Controller saw a slight increase in sales. The GSD data includes digital sales from participating companies, including major players such as Activision Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Ubisoft, and covers sales in several European markets, including Austria, Belgium, and France.