Projected U.S. total spending on video game hardware, content, and accessories declined 6% in May 2024 when compared to a year ago, to $4 billion, Circana reports. May 2024 content spending fell 3%, as 13% growth in Mobile content spending could not offset a 40% drop on console.
The console declines across hardware, content, and accessories spending can mostly be attributed to the strength of the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the comparable period last year.
May video game hardware spending declined 40% when compared to a year ago, to $202 million, and is now 30% lower year-to-date. Through May, all current generation hardware platforms are showing double-digit percentage declines year-on-year in 2024, with Switch showing the most significant drop. PlayStation 5 led the month’s hardware market in unit and dollar sales. Nintendo Switch once again finished second in unit sales, while Xbox Series ranked second in dollars.
May spending on Accessories dropped 8% when compared to a year ago to $148 million. Headset and headphone spending grew 10% in May when compared to a year ago was offset by a 12% dip in gamepad spending. The PlayStation Portal was the best-selling accessory in dollar sales for both May and 2024 year-to-date.
Ghost of Tsushima was the best-selling game of May 2024 in tracked dollar sales, boosted by the release of the title on Steam during the month. Ghost of Tsushima generated a slightly higher consumer spending total across physical and digital game sales than physical-only sales of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
TOP 10 GAMES FOR MAY 2024
- Ghost of Tsushima (Sony Corp.)
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo)
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) (Activision Blizzard Corp.)
- Helldivers II (Sony Corp.)
- MLB: The Show 24 (multiple manufacturers)
- Sea of Thieves (Microsoft Corp.)
- Minecraft (multiple manufacturers)
- Elden Ring (Bandai Namco Entertainment)
- Hogwarts Legacy (Warner Bros. games)
- Stellar Blade (Sony Corp.)
In Mobile content, Sensor Tower reports the top 10 games by U.S. consumer spending in May as Monopoly Go!, Royal Match, Roblox, Candy Crush Saga, Last War: Survival, Coin Master, Whiteout Survival, Township, Brawl Stars, and Jackpot Party — Casino Slots.
“U.S. mobile gaming consumer spend in May 2024 showed significant growth compared to May 2023 (+13%), though it was relatively steady month over month,” says Samuel Aune of Sensor Tower. “The biggest winner this month was Brawl Stars, growing U.S. consumer spend by 35% month over month to take the No. 9 spot. Brawl Stars has been surging this past year, (readers may remember that Brawl Stars U.S. consumer spend grew 41% last month) and May 2024 was its best month by U.S. consumer spend since its launch in December 2018.”
Trending Products
