UK Games Retail Sees Record-Breaking Black Friday Driven by Console Sales

According to GfK, the UK's video game market saw a significant surge in sales over the Black Friday period, with £167 million worth of consoles, accessories, and physical games being sold. This marks the third-largest Black Friday for the video game industry, surpassed only by the Black Friday sales of 2013 and 2020, which coincided with the launches of the PS4 and PS5 consoles, respectively. The UK's physical video game market experienced a 22% increase in revenue compared to the previous year's event, with console sales accounting for 47% of the total revenue, up from 40% in 2022. Online retailers dominated the sales, with 82% of Black Friday video game sales being made through online channels, matching the previous year's figure. The PlayStation 5 was a major driver of console sales, with a 217% increase in sales compared to the previous year, due in part to limited supply in 2022. The Xbox Series S and X also saw strong sales, matching their performance from the previous year. The Black Friday period also saw a significant increase in accessory sales, particularly for VR headsets, joypads, and gaming headsets, with VR sales reaching a record high. According to GfK's games boss, Dorian Bloch, 'VR was in the spotlight over Black Friday 2023, and this was the biggest ever revenue week for VR.' Bloch also noted that gaming headsets saw a similar trend to joypads, with a reverse in units sold but a slight increase in revenue.