UK Sees 2.6% Rise in PC and Console Sales for 2023

The UK's video game market experienced a modest 2.6% increase in sales during 2023, with 38 million games sold. EA Sports FC 24 led the charge as the best-selling game, despite an 8.4% decline from the previous year's FIFA 23 sales, which were boosted by the FIFA World Cup. Warner Bros. had a strong year, with Hogwarts Legacy securing the second spot and becoming the top-selling physical game. The Harry Potter spin-off had a staggered release across various platforms, starting with PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S and X in February, followed by PS4 and Xbox One in May, and finally Nintendo Switch in November. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 took the third spot, although its sales were nearly 39% lower than the previous year's Modern Warfare 2, possibly due to fans perceiving it as more of an expansion. All three games had marketing partnerships with PlayStation, with over half of their sales coming from Sony formats. The year saw a strong performance from Disney IP, with Spider-Man 2 and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ranking high in the charts. Nintendo's games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Super Mario Bros Wonder, would have likely ranked higher if digital sales data were available. Other notable releases in the Top 20 include Assassin's Creed Mirage, Resident Evil 4 Remake, and F1 23. The PS5 drove a 9.4% increase in console sales, with a 55.2% rise in sales compared to the previous year, making it the best year for a PlayStation console since 2014. In contrast, Nintendo Switch sales declined by 16.7%, while Xbox Series S and X sales dropped by 14.2%. Accessories sales saw a 4.5% decline, despite improved console sales.