PlayStation 5 was the United States’ best-selling hardware platform in both units and dollar sales in September 2021, ending a 33-month Nintendo Switch streak. While Sony’s next-gen console has outperformed the hybrid console in dollar sales at times over the past year, this is the first occasion where it’s outdone it in units as well, suggesting the stock situation is improving. It’s the first time a system has outsold the Nintendo Switch in the US since the PS4 did all the way back in November 2018.
It was a big month for sports games, with Madden NFL 22 maintaining its position at the top of the charts and FIFA 22 and NBA 2K22 joining it in the positions behind. (Note that 2K Sports does not share digital sales data for NBA 2K22, though.) Tales of Arise and Diablo II: Resurrected took the fourth and fifth positions, with Deathloop performing extremely well in sixth place. Elsewhere, exclusives like Ghost of Tsushima and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales retained their positions in the top ten.
Overall industry spend increased three per cent year-over-year, primarily driven by strong hardware sales, with September 2021 spending totalling a record $4.4 billion. We’ve included all of the relevant chart data below.
NPD Software Top 20: September 2021
- Madden NFL 22
- FIFA 22
- NBA 2K22*
- Tales of Arise
- Diablo II: Resurrected
- Deathloop
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Life Is Strange: True Colors
- Mario Kart 8*
- Diablo Prime Evil Colllection
- Sonic Colors Ultimate
- Minecraft
- WarioWare: Get It Together*
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate*
- Animal Crossing: New Horizons*
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
- Mortal Kombat 11
NPD PS5, PS4 Software: September 2021
- Madden NFL 22
- FIFA 22
- NBA 2K22*
- Deathloop
- Tales of Arise
- Ghost of Tsushima
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Diablo II: Resurrected
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Life Is Strange: True Colors
NPD Best-Selling Games of 2021
- Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
- Madden NFL 22
- MLB The Show 21^
- Resident Evil Village
- Super Mario 3D World*
- Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
- Mario Kart 8*
- Minecraft
- Monster Hunter Rise
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
* Digital sales not included
^ Xbox digital sales not included
[source twitter.com, via resetera.com]
Comments 25
Way to go, PS5! So does this mean more folks are finding PS5's easier to acquire?
@Rafie Certainly means the stock situation was better in September. Whether it'll be sustained or not is up for debate still.
Massive win for Tales of Arise.
Very nice... But care more about Tales of Arise!!! Nicely done... the game is fantastic.
MLB: The Show basically outselling everyone except for 2 games so far in 2021. Being on GamePass did not matter.
You even have to think the Nintendo Switch is the "Budget Option" in consoles. You have the $200 MSRP padding the numbers that Sony never had (not even the PS4 sells at that MSRP 8 years in)
NintenDOOMed, switch is dead in the water /j
Nah but seriously, let’s hope this means the ps5 stock is more available and not that the switch is hard to find. The ps4 and switch are both contenders for best selling console ever, ps5 seems to go to the top 5 at the end of it’s life.
I think Switch has a lot of steam left in it (it'll comfortably outsell PS4, and might even challenge some of Ninty's previous records if they play their cards right), but once the chip shortage evens out, I'd expect this to become the norm. There's a ton of pent-up demand for the PS5, and the only thing holding back sales are strained supply chains.
@Agramonte Ironically the Switch Lite actually doesn't account for much of the Switch family sales. It's around 15 million out of 90 million
@Haruki_NLI Anecdotally, almost everyone I know who owns a Lite, including myself, also owns the hybrid model, so I do have to wonder how many of those 15 million sales are people only going for a budget option.
Nintendo's days of producing handhelds with exclusive libraries is over forever. The hybrid form factor has been totally and completely vindicated.
3 annual sports titles that make barely any change in the top 3 is sad
They are certainly easy to get hold of now. I managed to get a 6th to go out in our summer house for us in the warmer months.
@Haruki_NLI
It is 25% of total US sales... that is "padding" territory.
Nintendo has never even tried to sell a $499 console in the US. Not even when adjusted for inflation.
I doubt it is a price point they can be in at this point.
If the ps5 didn't have stock issues then this would of been broken long ago
Yep, I think the has more to do with people holding out for the new model switch that any increase in PS5 stock. PS5 may be easier to get hold of now buts that's more likely due to the fact a far portion of the early adopters have nabbed one. Supply has not increased to the point of seeing PS5's on the shelves anywhere. Its only when you can walk in and buy a PS5 well will see its true sales numbers. When that is the case I'd expect the PS5 to take the lead for a extended period. But as stock is, I think this is more to do with the new model switch release than increased PS5 production.
How come is FIFA selling in the US?
I thought it was that "boring" sport americans didn't like.
I hope Sony can keep the stock going for PS5. I would love to get one, but I’m still patient with it.
I am so happy for PS5, and Tales of Arise. Well deserved
@Ralizah theres more kids than adults in the world so the switch will definitely keep selling . why get your kid an ipad when you can get a cheap fisher price toy instead.
Would've happened sooner if not for various happenings preventing Sony from getting stock out there. Demand is obviously high. And Miles Morales is selling like crazy. Safe to say Spider-Man 2 is going to be another massive hit and system seller when it launches.
@get2sammyb Is it the stock situation improving in the US or is it because registered PSN users can buy direct from Sony now?
No such luck for the the rest of the world, especially in the previous PS4 strongholds, as the ex-Japanese-now-American giant thinks XBoxland is a good place to set up shop?
@darkswabber Don't really think anything is going to dethrone the PS2. Even the DS/DSi was a few million adrift despite multiple models and a longer lifespan.
I don't really care. Nintendo still has ***** games.
@Rural-Bandit It's gonna be hilarious in six months when all those OLED owners have screen burn in their inferior consoles.
@Rural-Bandit I have an LG C7 OLED that's about 3 years old and the screen burn is egregious.
@Rural-Bandit McDonald's sells more cheeseburgers than anyone else in the world. It doesn't mean their food isn't garbage. High sales are not synonymous with quality. I get it. Nintendo makes family friendly games for little children. That's their bread and butter and they don't have to put in a lot of effort to get there. You can't deny though that if Zelda was made in the style of God of War (2018) and Metroid like Halo, they would be about a thousand times better.
@Rural-Bandit When I can finally upgrade to next gen, I do want to get a new TV. I'll look into the LG C1. I read somewhere that you're supposed to run OLED screens at 50% brightness and contrast for the first so many hundred hours of use to minimize the long term risk of screen burn. When I do have the time to game, I usually get stoned before and run the screen at maxed settings because I want it to be as vivid and surreal of an experience as possible.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...